The Bitter Glass
by fyre
Summary: Of Western Stars universe Harry's second year at Hogwarts is about to start. After the events of last year will a certain Mister Padfoot even let Harry go?
1. CHAPTER I: The Werewolf, the Wizards, a

"The Bitter Glass"

By fyre

FEEDBACK: or press review button below.

TEASER: Of Western Stars universe Harry's second year at Hogwarts is about to begin. After the events of last year will a certain Mister Padfoot even let Harry go? With neutral's authorization and approval to play in her universe.

TIME LINE/CATEGORY: Harry's second year at Hogwarts, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Set in neutral's _Of Western Stars_ universe. The story arch is as follows:

* * *

_Of Western Stars_ by neutral 

_Of Snow_ by neutral

_Clawtracks of a Star_ by neutral

_Let Winterlight Come_ by fyre

_Hunting for Marbles_ by neutral

_The Bitter Glass_ by fyre

_Half of Dueling Range_ by neutral

_Good Intentions_ by neutral

* * *

A link to neutral's stories can be found in my favorite authors section on as well as a link to her own website and her email address. 

RATING: PGish Violence, some language, mentions of abuse.

DISCLAIMER: No major plot lines, characters, setting, or major events alluded to in this story are mine in any way. Some of the words are pulled straight from the movies or from JRK novels for the sake of continuity and are NOT mine. The background information and history that differs from JRK books belongs to neutral. No money is being made off this story. Please ask author before reproducing or posting anywhere else.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: neutral who without her permission, her encouragement, her constant source of inspiration, and writing this would not have been possible. Thanks for betaing!

SCHEDULE OF POSTING: It has been a year since "Let Winterlight Come" was first posted on While I promised myself for the sake of readers that I would finish over 50 of this story before I began posting, I am fifty eight pages in and only on Chapter IV. Couple that with pleading reviews for the next part, finals, my computer getting the blue screen of death, and the bar, I have decided that if you guys don't mind a fairly irregular posting schedule I will begin posting what I have now. But I promise I will not abandon this fic and will try to keep any wait between chapters to an absolute minimum.

NOTES: I wrote this piece with neutral's permission to play in her universe and with her wonderful characters. Every chapter, idea, plot, and take on characters in the universe was discussed and approved by neutral before posting. I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes that got by me. Some of the odd sentence structure is purposeful for effect, even if it violates basic principles of grammar. Just go with it.

* * *

CHAPTER I: The Werewolf, the Wizards, and the Wand

* * *

"Wands at the ready?" 

A solemn nod. "Ready."

"Very well then. Count off."

"One, two, three, four, five, si--"

"_Rictasempura_!"

"_Protego!_ Padfoot!" Harry said indignantly. "That's cheating!"

Sirius ducked the reflected curse and grinned. "Winning is winning, Harry. _Stupefy_!"

Harry dodged left and raised his wand determinedly. "_Expelliamus_!"

"_Locomotor chair_!" The item flew from its placed on the veranda and was knocked aside by the force of Harry's disarming charm. "_Petrificus Totalus_!"

"_Impedimenta_!" Harry yelled and the two spells met with a sizzle of energy and color throwing them both to the ground. Not even trying to get up or clear the dust from his eyes knowing full well how fast his godfather could be, Harry let instinct guide him. "_REDUCTO_!"

He felt the hex begin to form but then sputter out, his wand shuddering in his hand. _Too much power,_ Harry realized wildly as his holly wand began to glow and grow warm in his hand.

"_EXPELLIAMUS_!"

There was no time to dodge; his wand was yanked out of his hand towards Sirius, but no more was it a thin stick of wood. The wand was now a flaming missile headed straight towards his godfather.

"Whoa! _Whoa_!" Sirius threw up his hands to ward off the flying wand, ducking as it missed his head by mere millimeters. It embedded itself deeply in a tree with a bang.

With a groan Harry flopped back onto the grass. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes trying to rub the gritty tired feeling out of them. They'd been working on this for days and still his wand gave out at the worst possible moments.

"Hey, none of that now."

Harry moved his hands and blinked up at his godfather who was kneeling beside him. "I don't know if I can do this," he said.

"Of course you can," the black haired Marauder scolded as he helped Harry sit up. "You're doing a great job. It's actually working the spells now instead of just being used as a prop. Gods know how you managed to fool your teachers all last year," Sirius muttered as he began pulling strands of grass out of the boy's mess of hair. "But then seeing as how they are all blind, ignorant, stupid, _incompetent_--"

"I didn't manage to fool all of them," Harry admitted under his breath as he got to his feet, brushing off his trousers. "It _wants_ to work, I can feel it," he continued in a louder voice, going over to stare at the embedded wand. "It's just . . ."

"Just what?"

Harry bit his lip. "I'm not sure this is _my_ wand," he confessed.

Sirius stared down at his godson for a long moment before gently pulling out the unblemished holly wand from the blackened and scorched tree. He turned it over in his hands thoughtfully. "Wands are tricky things, Harry. Some people think that they are only focuses, channels for our innate power. Witches and wizards forget that the core itself has its own power, separate and unique from its wielder. One wand for one wizard, that's what we used to say in the Department. One wand," he handed it over to Harry who took it carefully, "one wizard."

"Well," Harry said at last, "At least it likes you now; it's stopped burning you."

"And a good thing too," Padfoot agreed. "Hard to examine the thing when it likes to singe people. Enough dueling for now, how about we go inside and try some transfiguration!" he said gleefully, placing his arm around Harry shoulder and hugging his godson to him.

"You just like to watch me turn Moony's tea set into rabbits and chase them all over the house," Harry said poking Sirius in the side with the tip of his wand.

"May I remind you, Mister Talons, that your last rabbit had a tea spout for a nose?" he retorted archly as they headed back towards the door.

Harry's shoulders sank. "Transfiguration is _much_ easier with no words or wands."

"Well, if I'd _known_ about this sooner, I would have been able to get you into tip top shape ages ago. So secretive, Harry," he said with affectionate exasperation, ruffling the boy's inky hair. "But not any more," Sirius added, eyes intense on the boy beside him.

"Not anymore," Harry agreed hurriedly, quick to put his godfather at ease, pleased when the sudden anxiety left Sirius at his affirmation. "When I go back to Hogwarts I'll be sending so many letters Hedwig will be exhausted."

The Marauder froze in the middle of opening the front door. "Er, Harry . . . about Hogwarts. I don't think--"

"Bugger!"

Harry's green eyes widened at the sound of the barely muffled curse from indoors. "Moony's back!" he called out excitedly. Ducking around his godfather he raced inside towards the fireplace.

Remus was just getting to his feet when he was bowled over by a black haired, scarlet robed blur.

"Moony! You're back! How did it go? What did they say? Did they like it? What about the changes you made? When will they--?"

"Easy, Harry!" Sirius said with a laugh, pulling Harry back to sit on the couch and give the werewolf breathing room.

"Nice to get a warm welcome after only being gone for two days," Remus said laughingly, getting up and brushing soot and floo powder off his robes and trousers with the parchment bunched in his hand.

"Sit down, sit down," Harry said eagerly, bouncing in his seat in anticipation.

Mischievously, Remus took his seat with leisurely slowness, getting comfortable, rearranging cushions, watching out of the corner of his eye as Harry watched _him_, waiting impatiently to get answers to his most pressing questions.

Moony was just about to suggest tea first when Padfoot threw a pillow at him. "Oh stop torturing us, Moony! Well?" Padfoot demanded. "What did they say?!"

Harry took this as permission to ask his questions and the words once again rushed out in excitement. "Did they like it? Are they going to publish your book?"

The werewolf hesitated for a bare instant before answering. "They liked it."

Sirius caught the deliberate wording, the pause. He knew his friend too well; something had not gone right. "But?" he pressed.

Remus shuffled his papers nervously. "The market on defense books is rather . . . saturated at the moment," he answered, unable to meet either blue or green eyes.

"But your book is wonderful," Harry said in utter bewilderment as to why anyone would hesitate in publishing his guardian's work. "It's got that really good explanation of shield work and-and that chapter on werewolves . . ."

Remus hid a wan smile at the sight of James and Lily son's earnest expression.

"I thought you said that most of the current defense books were awful, just prejudicial against non-humans and skimpy on anything resembling a decent hex or counter-curse," Sirius said, growing upset. "I know you use a pseudonym. It isn't because you are a--"

"I've never confirmed or denied the . . . rumors to my editor and she has never asked. That I am a werewolf made no difference in any event," Remus explained firmly. The last thing he needed was Sirius going on a crusade for his sake: he knew from experience Padfoot would do so before you could say _lumos_. "People just like reading Gilderoy Lockhart's books," Remus explained in a calm, reasonable voice. "He's reissued his entire series with the release of his autobiography. Compared to that, an anonymous author writing a dry, serious book just wouldn't sell."

"It's not dry and serious!" Harry exclaimed fiercely. "It's brilliant. The chapter on vampires is very funny, and the sketch . . ." Harry lowered his voice to a whisper as if imparting a most wonderful secret. "The sketch looks _just_ like Professor Snape!"

Remus fought laughter manfully; Sirius didn't even bother. "Harry's right, besides I'm Sirius, remember Moony?"

"She didn't say she _wouldn't _publish it, just that right now it wasn't feasible. I haven't given up," he assured Harry as the boy opened his mouth to protest.

"Who is this Gilderoy Lockhart anyway?" Sirius asked peevishly, kicking at the ottoman halfheartedly.

"Lockhart, Lockhart . . ." Harry repeated under his breath. "There was an advert for him in the Daily Prophet yesterday," Harry said, sitting up as he remembered. He jumped off the couch and darted into the kitchen to dig through the paper box near the stove. He came dashing back, proffering the slightly wrinkled paper to his godfather. "Here."

"_Magical Me_ by Gilderoy Lockhart," Sirius read. "Order of Merlin Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five time winner of . . . _Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile award_? What is he, a warrior or a peacock? Look at his robes!" Sirius said in disgust, brandishing the paper. "No one wears those things talking with wendigos or traveling with ghouls or chatting up yetis or whatever the hell he's done."

"He's quite the media darling though," Remus put in, staring with a strange fascination at the smiling, beaming picture of blond coiffed perfection, blinding white teeth, and sea green and crème coloured robes. It was the same look people gave train wreaks and other appalling events-- the sight was horrifying but oddly captivating.

Lupin shuddered.

"I'll bet," Sirius muttered.

"Why did he write an autobiography if all his books are autobiographical?" Harry asked as he read over Padfoot's shoulder.

"Good question. This man appears to be in love with himself."

"And a good portion of the wizarding world agrees with him," the werewolf said. "Never mind about my book. It will get published eventually," he said staunchly, getting to his feet and smoothing Harry's wild hair down.

Harry looked up at him sorrowfully, but then brightened. "We could always publish it ourselves."

Sirius's eyes widened. "Hey, now _there's_ an idea! Brilliant proposal, Mister Talons. Inspired! I can see it now. **Marauder's Press**. We could--"

"_No_," Remus said sharply. He immediately softened his tone when he noted Harry shrinking in on himself. "Thank you, but no. It is a very nice thought, but I'd like to try having one of the larger more established presses print it first," he added, not wanting to crush either of them, knowing that if he asked they would move mountains to publish his book.

Padfoot was silent before he nodded in understanding. He knew how important this was to his friend, the legitimacy of a larger press publishing. "Sure, Moony. I can't imagine this guy holding the bestseller list longer than a couple of weeks. It's just freakish amazement that's got people buying now. Nothing more than a fluke. It'll pass," he said assuredly.

"And maybe you could add that section on the last Dark War since you have more time until the final copy is due," Harry put in watching his guardian's face carefully for signs of distress or disappointment.

"An excellent idea, Mister Talons," Moony said, bowing formally to the boy. "You have my thanks. Now how about some tea? I'm famished."

* * *

"Isn't she beautiful?" Sirius said happily. 

Harry looked askance at the Ford Anglia from his perch on his godfather's motorbike. The car had taken some serious coaxing to be led back into the Moor House's extensive garage/workshop where Sirius tinkered with his projects. Even now Sirius left the doors open so the Ford could roam as it wanted to around the grounds.

"She?" Harry asked, perplexed, swinging his legs idly.

"All cars and all motorbikes are shes," Sirius informed him, wiping his oil stained hands on a towel. "She may not look like much on the outside, but she's got a good engine." He slammed down the bonnet and patted the car gently. The Ford started on its own and purred beneath his praise. Padfoot smiled. "She'll get us to the Burrow for your birthday party just fine."

Harry nodded absently, mind on other things. "Will my Hogwarts letter know to go to the Weasley's house if we leave so very early tomorrow morning?"

Sirius stilled. "Uh . . . Harry . . . about Hogwarts," he carefully began.

Catching sight of the Animagus' worried expression, Harry hurried to explain. "I'm almost done with my homework. Almost. I know I shouldn't have put it off, but," here Harry ducked his head sheepishly "But there's not too much left. We don't have any Defense homework this summer."

Padfoot's hands clenched at the reminder of Quirrell, the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who wasn't alive to give summer term homework. He took a deep breath and turned to face the boy. "Harry?" he began in a strained voice.

"Yes?"

"Your first year was really, _really_ dangerous, right?"

Carefully Harry thought back: three headed dogs, dragons, forbidden corridors, jinxed brooms, unicorn killers, the Forbidden Forest, devil's snare, enchanted mirrors, wizard chess, and Voldemort. Harry shrugged. "I guess."

"You guess?" Sirius snorted derisively. "Hogwarts wasn't exactly safe last term," he said moving forward. "What with Voldemort being there, nearly getting jinxed off your broom, and the Forbidden Forest detention going after a fiend that killed unicorns." Sirius reached out and grabbed Harry by the shoulders and leaned in. "I mean, you only went to Hogwarts because you said, you saw, well . . . it was _important_. You understand what I'm saying, don't you Harry?" Sirius asked urgently, rubbing his hands slowly up and down Harry's arms.

"First year was a bit of an adventure," Harry said slowly, watching his godfather's face, trying to see if that was the right answer.

"More than an adventure, it was dangerous!" Sirius said insistently. "Dumbledore was _supposed_ to protect you. Hogwarts' wards were_ supposed _to keep you safe. And they _didn't._ Moor House is much safer. _You're_ much safer. Here. At home," he added after a beat, "with Moony and me."

Harry bit his lip wondering just what exactly his godfather was trying to tell him. Did he want Harry to promise to stop looking for trouble at school? Harry was more than willing to promise. He didn't _want_ to get involved in those types of adventures, it just was occasionally necessary. Harry was well aware that he risked more than his own life, her risked the lives of his friends who would follow him anywhere. He would be happy to promise if that was what Padfoot wanted.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," Harry said firmly. "Yes, I understand."

The Marauder blinked in surprise. "And you're not upset? I-I mean, I don't want you to think that I'm being selfish--"

Harry rushed to reassure him. "You're not! You're not! You're right. I shouldn't just--"

"You'll still get to learn, to study--"

The black haired boy nodded. "I'll be able to study more if I'm out of trouble."

"Exactly!" Sirius cried. "_Ex_actly! And you'll still have time with your friends, I promise. So we're all right then, Harry?"

"I'll stay out of trouble," Harry agreed.

Sirius sighed in relief. "Good, good. Come on, lets go get packed and get ready for bed. Big day tomorrow you know. Tomorrow you're twelve."

Harry hopped off the motorbike and followed his godfather into the house and hurried upstairs to get started on packing a few things in his book bag he wanted to show Ron tomorrow. The Animagus watched him go with a devilishly pleased expression on his face.

"What are you smiling at?" Remus asked as he carried a tea stained mug and several dirty dishes from his study towards the kitchen. _That smile never bodes well,_ Lupin thought darkly.

Sirius rocked on his heels, grinning. "Just had a little talk with Harry," he said airily.

"Oh?" The werewolf pushed the swinging kitchen door open with his elbow and dumped his dishes in the sink.

Padfoot followed eagerly behind him. "I explained to him the realities of the situation and Harry, brilliant boy that he is, totally understood and completely agreed."

"So he agreed?"

Sirius hopped up on the countertop to sit, watching as his friend absently waved his wand to start the dishes rinsing as he put the kettle on. "Yup."

Moony shut off the water. "Sirius, what are you _talking_ about?" he asked in bewilderment.

The black haired man rolled his eyes in exasperation. "About Harry not going back to Hogwarts this term."

Remus eyed him incredulously. "You _told_ Harry that," he said in disbelief.

"Yes."

"And Harry _agreed_?"

"That is what I just _said_," Sirius huffed. "Is there an echo in here or something?"

Remus folded his arms across his chest and raised one knowing eyebrow. "Harry agreed to _not_ go back to school."

"_Yes_."

"That's exactly what he said?"

"Er . . ."

"Did he say that?" Moony asked pointedly. "Did he say, 'Sirius you're right, not paranoid and manically overprotective. I shouldn't go back to Hogwarts. Ever.'"

Sirius rubbed the back of his neck ruefully. "Well . . . er . . . Harry _did_ say he wanted to stay out of trouble," he finished defensively. "And I am _not_ paranoid or manically overprotective."

Moony sighed and put a hand to his forehead tiredly. "Did you _say_ to Harry that you were not going to let him return to Hogwarts?" he asked slowly as if speaking to a five year old.

Padfoot bristled. "We talked about how dangerous Hogwarts was and how he could study better if he wasn't in trouble and how Moor House was safer and . . . and . . ." The werewolf's amber gaze bored into him. Sirius fidgeted.

"no," he admitted at last.

"Well then, I guess Harry is going."

"He is NOT!" Black jumped down off the counter. "I won't have my godson at that-that . . . _school!_ If you think for one second that I trust--"

"Padfoot?" Harry's voice floated down from his room, cutting off the tirade.

Sirius pushed his way into the living room and stared up at Harry who was leaning over the banister. "What is it, Harry?"

"Do you think I should bring my school books?" Harry asked, brow furrowing in consideration.

"I don't think that you'll have any time to study, Harry. It's your birthday party, remember?" he said encouragingly. "Never mind about homework."

"Oh, right."

Sirius waited until the sounds of footsteps retreated back up the stairs before his pleasant expression collapsed into dismay. "He_ didn't _understand," he muttered to himself.

"Padfoot," Remus said, coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should just let him go to Hogwarts."

"No," he said sharply. "It's too dangerous. It's just-- it's just so hard to tell him," he groaned. "Harry's so excited about school; I think he really likes it despite it being dangerous and failing potions and the whole place being staffed by morons and _Snape _. . ."

Sirius suddenly whirled around, excited. "_You _tell him Moony."

"Me?" choked the werewolf. "Oh, no," he said shaking his head vehemently. "This is _your_ idea. If you want to withdraw him from Hogwarts, coop Harry up, keep him wrapped in cotton wool for the rest of his life, then _you_ tell him he's not going. I'll have no part in this."

"But Moony!"

"No." Remus made a break down the hall towards the sanctuary of his study, choosing to ignore the whistling teakettle. _The whole house can burn for all I care, must get away!_

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?" Sirius gave him his puppy dog eyes.

_Be strong, Remus._ "No."

With a pop, Sirius was in his Animagus form and whimpered he pawed at Moony's leg.

"Now this is getting embarrassing," Lupin informed him with a laugh.

There was another popping noise and Sirius was tugging at his sleeve.

"Please Moony?"

"No!"

* * *

"Harry." 

"Mmmm."

"Harry, it's morning. Time to get up."

Blearily, Harry sat up in bed and blinked myopically at Remus. With great ceremony, the werewolf handed him his glasses.

"Harry Birthday, Harry," he said, offering the boy a one armed hug and a smile.

"Twelve. I'm twelve," Harry announced sleepily to the world at large. He then promptly burrowed back under the covers before Remus could stop him.

Laughing, he dragged the boy out. "Come on. Get ready. We've got to get over to the Burrow for lunch."

Harry walked slowly towards the bathroom, rubbing his eyes. "Where's Padfoot?"

"He's braved the kitchen to make breakfast for you," Remus replied with a grin only imagining the chaos downstairs. It was a testament to how awake and aware Harry in fact was that the boy didn't even react to the unusual event of Padfoot attempting to make anything other than his famous lamb curry without burning the house down. The werewolf smoothed down Harry's wayward hair and pushed him gently towards the bathroom. "Go, wash your face. It'll help you wake up."

Harry had just stumbled down the stairs when Sirius came waltzing out of the kitchen, singing.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Harry. Happy Birthday to yoooOOOoooouu!" He picked up his godson on the last word and hugged him tight.

"Morning Padfoot," Harry murmured into the Marauders shirt, which smelled of butter, syrup, and Grim.

"Bit sleepy this morning, huh?" Sirius said knowingly, sharing a grin with Moony who watched from the foot of the stairs. Harry's sleep patterns had always been erratic and his guardians made an effort to cater to them. It wasn't as if their own were much better: Remus up at all hours when inspiration struck him, Sirius sometimes sleeping till noon, other times out at dawn at his mysterious "job," not to mention the nights when the moon was full. "Never mind," Padfoot said with a gentle laugh. "Breakfast and then you can sleep on the way."

"Hmm," was all that Harry could manage following both men into the kitchen.

* * *

It was the thrum of the Ford Anglia that woke Harry. Blinking, he raised his head of Remus' lap and stared at the blue sky and white clouds surrounding them. 

"Awake are we?" Moony asked as he quickly stopped trying to massage out the knots of pain that crampt his hands, refusing to worry the child. Putting aside his ever-present notebook and quill where he'd been scribbling ideas, Lupin helped Harry sit up.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, pressing his face to the windows and them moving forward to lean over the front seat to stare out of the windshield.

Sirius pointed out a hill in the distance, hardly needing both hands to steer because the car knew the way home. "See that? Ottery St. Catchpole. We're almost there. You feeling more awake now, Mister Talons?" he teased.

Harry nodded distractedly, staring avidly down below. "It's almost as good as your motorbike."

"Almost," Sirius agreed with a smile as they began their descent.

* * *

tbc. Review? 


	2. CHAPTER II: The House Elf Who Knew Too M...

AHHHH! I JUST SAW HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN! Oh, it was **good.** I feel energized to write more! Harry was soooo cute! And despite my lingering worries, I thought the acting and the directing were **superb** as was the way the story was turned into script. Professor Lupin and Sirius Black were great, so too was the new actor for Dumbledore. The Sirius and Harry scenes and the ones between Remus and Harry were so heart wrenching especially considering fifth book! My favorite of the Harry Potter books is now my favorite Harry Potter movie

Just FYI for this story, PHYSICAL APPERANCE of MOONY AND PADFOOT:

Sirius is not quite so scruffy and quite the charmer with long black hair and blue eyes.

Remus is also clean-shaven with honey hair already greying with grey eyes.

As to Reviewers, THANK YOU. Replies are below the chapter. Read and enjoy.

* * *

CHAPTER II: The House Elf Who Knew Too Much

* * *

"Wow," Harry breathed. The Burrow was quite a sight-- a cobbled together structure that quite literally held itself together with magic. Harry could practically see the ropes of spells and charms knotted together out of the corner of his eye.

Remus let out a low whistle. "Quite the wizard's house."

"Go on home, girl," Sirius said to the Ford, patting the bonnet of the car. The auto revved her engine in response before trundling off to the nearby shed. Sirius suddenly turned, nose up, eyes alight. "I smell lunch!" he announced happily laying an arm across his godson's shoulder. "Let's go on in."

Sirius had just raised his fist to knock when a massive explosion rocked the house, blowing open and then closing every window in the Burrow.

Sirius and Remus, reacting on instinct, had thrown themselves in front of Harry with wands drawn.

"Fred . . . GEORGE?!" A female voice bellowed from inside rattling the window glass.

Harry peered around his godfather. "It's the twins," he said knowingly. "They're experimenting with pranks."

"Sounds familiar," Remus said with a relieved laugh, re-holstering his wand. "Very familiar," he looked pointedly at Sirius.

"You used to do experiments too?" Harry asked curiously.

"Only for schoolwork purposes," the Animagus said hurriedly, shooting Remus a withering glance. The last thing he wanted was his precious, innocent godson knowinghis less than stellar past. "Let's try this again," he said, knocking on the door.

"I'll get it!"

"I'll get it!"

"Don't run! _I'm _the oldest, I'll get--"

"You're not--"

"--the oldest! I'll--"

"--get it!"

"It's Harry, _I'll _get it!"

The Marauders shared a glance and backed away from the door as the approaching thunder of feet grew inexorably closer.

With a bang the door flew open.

"Harry!" shouted two identical soot-stained faces.

"Out of the way!" Ron's voice rose above the noise. He shoved past Fred and narrowly missed stepping on a rather squashed Percy. "Harry! You made it! Hullo Sirius, Remus."

"Hello, Ron," Sirius greeted him.

"Sirius Black?" George said in awe. He reached out and grabbed Black's hand and shook it vigorously. "Loved your Howlers last term, brilliant absolutely brilliant! Right, Fred?"

Fred dove and grabbed Black's other hand and pumped it. "Charmed, sir."

"Perhaps we could invite our guests _inside_?" Percy said tartly as Ron helped him up. Straightening his glasses and brushing at his robes he nodded in greeting. "Harry Birthday, Harry."

"Yeah, Happy Birthday," chimed in Ron as he shoved and pushed at his brothers to make room. He grabbed Harry's arm and eagerly dragged his friend into the house. "Mum's been baking for hours and hours and--"

Mrs. Weasley was suddenly there in all her multicolored crochetglory. "About time you let them in, Ronald Weasley! Leaving guests on the doorstep," she scolded, wiping her hands on her apron before stripping it off. "Fred, Georgego clean up. No more explosions today. Harry, welcome! Happy Birthday."

She reached out to him with open arms, fully intent on hugging the wild haired, bespeckled, motherless orphan boy who was so dwarfed by her own sons. She was stopped in her tracks when Harry's guardians finally gained entrance. "And you must be Sirius Black," she said frostily, lowering her arms slowly.

"Yes, we met at Kings Cross at Christmas. May I call you Molly?" He reached out and took her hand. "I am ever so glad you've invited us for Harry's party. It means so much to him," Sirius said with a charming smile.

For a moment Mrs. Weasley looked pleasantly flustered but she rallied valiantly.

"Yes-yes we did. You were riding that dreadful motorbike," she said sternly. The escapee from Azkaban did not even quiver under her gaze, but Molly did find surprising support in Remus Lupin.

"You took the_ motorbike _to fetch Harry at Christmas?" he asked incredulously.

"Er . . ."

"I got to drive!" Harry said proudly.

"You drove it right onto the platform, didn't you?" the werewolf demanded, crossing his arms.

"Harry had been gone for months! I wanted to give him a nice greeting," Sirius protested hurriedly.

Finding Sirius Black properly chastised and well in hand, Molly decided not to let Mr. Black's irresponsible conduct ruin Harry's birthday party. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Molly Weasley," she said holding out her hand to the grey eyed man.

He smiled and took her hand. "Remus Lupin. An old family friend."

Sirius snorted. "Don't listen to him, Molly. He's practically Harry's second godfather."

Relieved that Harry didn't only have this charming wild man as his guardian, Mrs. Weasley took in Lupin's somewhat old fashioned robes, his graying hair, his painful thinness and began to worry.

_Remus Lupin_, she thought. _Now why does that name sound familiar?_

Brushing aside her absent thought, she focused on what she could fix. "All of you look like you could do with a hot lunch," she decided firmly, shepherding the three of them towards the wonderful smells in the kitchen.

"Aw, Mum," Ron said, grabbing back hold of his friend's arm. "Can't I show Harry my room first?"

"After lunch," she said firmly directing the Marauders to the table. "George, Fred! Lunch!" She called up the stairs. "Percy, would you go on up and fetch Ginny?" She helped Harry get settled and tutted disapprovingly over him. "Goodness, your hair's all a mess."

"Harry's hair is always a mess. He doesn't even comb it," Ron put in, sliding into a seat on oneside of Harry. "He doesn't even _have_ a comb." He looked at his fastidious mother, hoping she'd get the hint.

Molly scowled and Harry shrank beneath her gaze, hand reaching up to smooth down his wild hair when Sirius reached over and ruffled it into an even bigger tangle.

"Yup, Harry looks just like his father," Black said proudly.

Harry positively beamed.

Mollified, Mrs. Weasley drew out her wand and began directing lunch to the table with the skill of a concert conductor. Fred and George tumbled into the kitchen barely missing being brained by a bowl of floating potatoes. "Everyone sit down. Don't touch that cake, Fred."

"I'm not Fred," said the guilty twin, popping one chocolate iced finger into his mouth.

"I'm Fred" said the other throwing himself into his chair. "Honestly Mum, don't you know your own children?"

"Sorry, dear," she apologized absently as the rolls popped out of the oven and jumped into a waiting basket. "Percy! Ginny! Lunch NOW! We have guests! No dawdling!"

"Afternoon, Weasleys!" a voice from the back door called.

"Afternoon, Dad!" the Weasley children greeted.

Arthur Weasley came inside and took off his hat and put down his battered briefcase and was nearly run over by Ginny and Percy entering the kitchen.

"Just in time for lunch I see. Smells wonderful," he complimented his wife, kissing her on the cheek, and taking his seat began to load food onto his plate.

"Ginny, why don't you sit down over there?" Molly said giving the petrified, wide eyed girl a push towards the table.

Stumbling, Ginny sat across the table from Harry and stared intently at her plate.

"Harry dear, won't you have some potatoes?" Molly said as she spooned several onto his plate.

"How are things at the Ministry?" Percy asked his father.

"Pass the butter," Fred said elbowing Percy.

"Manners," Molly put in pointedly.

"Six raids all this morning," Arthur said. "We're preparing a second batch of notices to go out this afternoon for tomorrow's raids. I begged off paperwork to get out of there on time."

"You really should have some more roast, Mr. Lupin," Molly insisted, forking over the meat.

"Anyone we know?" Sirius asked as he ladled some gravy all over Harry's and then his own food.

"Oh, the old familiar names. We've been trying to get clearance to search the Malfoy estates but you know how it . . ." Mr. Weasley trailed off, fork suspended in mid air as he realized it was not one of his children who asked the question. Blinking, he stared at the three guests at his table.

One was thin, wiry, tense with exhaustion, and had honey colored hair already greying liberally.

The other man had long black hair and intense blue eyes.

And the last, hidden between Ron and the blue eyed man was smaller and slighter than even his youngest child, with wild pitch hair and glasses hiding enormous green eyes.

"Hello!" Arthur exclaimed. "Who are you?"

"Remember, Dad, it's Harry's birthday today," Ron said, leaning over to snag a roll. "We invited him for lunch. That's why Harry's Hogwarts letter came with ours this morning. They've brought back the car."

Arthur leaned over and peered around his son to stare at the dark haired boy in outright amazement and awe.

Harry swallowed hard and placed his knife and fork down. "I'm Harry, sir. Harry Potter."

"Are you really?" Arthur said in delight. "Harry Potter! G-Good lord." He finally tore his eyes away to see the dark haired man glowering at him. "And you must be Sirius Black and Remus Lupin."

"Take some salad," Mrs. Weasley insisted to Remus. "You're all skin and bones."

"Did you confiscate anything, Dad?" Ron said around a mouthful of roast beef.

"Oi! Ginny, be careful!" George exclaimed righting the nearly tipped over glass.

"Confiscate?" Harry asked softly over the noise of Molly fussing over her daughter's near spill.

"Dad works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Dad loves muggles, thinks they're fascinating."

"Seconds?" Molly said cheerfully and without waiting for a reply piled food on Remus' still full plate, completely ignoring Sirius' empty one.

"Harry, you lived with muggles. Can you explain something for me?" Arthur asked eagerly, wiping his mouth on his napkin.

Harry started a bit at the question and turned to regard the man, unsure and lost as to what he could possibly inform Mr. Weasley about.

Sirius cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at Arthur. He was about to quite pointedly tell the man off for upsetting Harry when Molly intervened, leaning over the table and cutting off his line of sight for his I-am-a-scary-Grim-fear-me look.

"Harry, have some more. A growing boy like you needs to eat well and look handsome for all the girls."

This time Ginny succeeded in spilling her milk over the table.

"Ginny!" Fred yelped as he wiped futily at his soaked shirt.

"So, Harry, explain to me this thing called telluvisin that muggles watch all the time. What exactly are they watching? Are they windows to somewhere?"

Sirius was just about to open his mouth when Moony elbowed him sharply in the stomach. "No yelling at our hosts," he hissed. "It's Harry's birthday."

The whole table quieted as everyone waited for Harry's answer. The boy scrambled for a reply, trying to remember something about "telluvisin."

"W-well, er . . ."

"It's like a wizard portrait that tells different stories," Sirius put in smoothly.

"Amazing!" Mr. Weasley was positively beaming. "What sort of stories did you watch, Harry?"

"I--I never watched television at the Dursleys, sir," Harry admitted quietly.

Arthur jumped in his seat from the pain to his shin and stared wounded at his wife over the sudden, unprovoked attack. Molly was obviously trying to tell him something furiously with her eyebrows but no matter how many semaphore moves they performed he just couldn't quite get what she was--

Oh.

_Oh!_

Hurriedly Arthur looked back at the wilted figure of Harry Potter, shrunk down to avoid notice in his seat, and the homicidal glares of both Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, as well his own son Ron!

"Oh, oh yes of course. I am sorry to have pressed," he said anxiously. "Back to this delicious lunch then," he said with false joviality.

"Harry dear, finish your plate," Molly urged. "Cake is coming up. Mr. Lupin, have some milk."

"So how was the car? Ron said it went wild after they crashed at your house!" Fred or possibly George broke in, destroying the tense silence with his usual aplomb.

"And broke a dozen wizarding laws in the process," Percy said, rolling his eyes at the twins.

"Beautiful," Sirius said with a sigh. "She's a wonderful piece of magic and machinery."

"She's illegal," Molly snapped as she began clearing off the empty dishes from lunch and the not so empty plate of Sirius'. "We should take her apart."

"You're going to take her apart?" the black haired Marauder asked in horror.

"No, we're not," Arthur assured him.

"Yes, we are," Molly insisted at the same time.

"We really should, Dad. It would look awful if you were caught misusing muggle artifacts," Percy said.

"If you don't want her, I'll buy her. I didn't tame her and coax her out of Fangorn Forest for you to take apart!" Sirius said indignantly, using his fork to steal some of Harry's barely touched roast now that his own plate had been snatched.

"I'd probably have to raid your home if I did sell her to you," Mr. Weasley said with a laugh.

"Cake!" George yelled.

"Cake!" Fred echoed, banging his fork on the table.

"Let me help, Mum," Percy said, hurrying to stand.

"Thank you, dear. Ginny, if you're not going to finish please put your plate away. Harry dear, are you sure you can't eat any more?"

"Mum made chocolate cake," Ron informed Harry. "Her special recipe."

"Cake-Cake-Cake-Cake!" the twins chanted.

"Manners," Molly scolded. "Arthur, if you could spell the lights?"

With a wave of his wand the lights dimmed and the window glass grew dark blocking out the sun and a chocolate layer cake lit with 12 candles floated gently to land on the table in front of Harry to the applause of the Weasleys.

"Blow them out," Ron said.

"Singing first!" Fred demanded loudly.

"I already had my song," Harry said, faintly remembering being serenaded to this morning by Sirius.

"Then cake!" Fred countered, banging his fork with gusto.

"Blow them out," urged Sirius with a smile.

Taking a deep breath Harry blew and the flickering flames went out.

And then burst back into light.

Everyone blinked.

"Fred, George!" Molly yelled, smacking the two red heads with a dishcloth. "Did you put trick candles on Harry's cake?!"

"No, Mum!" came the chorused denial.

Harry focused on the candles and blew again. This time the flames went out and stayed out.

Shakily, Arthur spelled the room light again staring at Harry in barely disguised awe. Molly grasped his shoulder tightly. They had felt that unmistakable wave of power down to their bones.

George gaped at the candles. Fred sputtered.

"Th-those were guaranteed to stay lit! Even if doused with water! We tested them!" George said indignantly.

Ron stared at Harry through the corner of his eye wonderingly. Harry's green eyes slid over to meet his gaze and the dark haired boy smiled.

"Harry! Take a piece dear," Molly insisted, pressing a plate into his hands. "You too, Mr. Lupin--"

"Call me Remus, please." the werewolf insisted eagerly grabbing at the chocolate pastry.

"Remus then," she said with a smile. "You look like you could use some chocolate."

Sirius didn't bother to muffle his snickers as he dug into his piece of the birthday cake.

"Eat up, Harry," Molly urged after a few moments.

"He's stuffed from lunch, Mum," George put in through chewing, scattering dark crumbs everywhere.

"Say it don't spray it," Percy snapped. "Really, we have guests. Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Nonsense. Harry's not full." Mrs. Weasley huffed, "Growing boys don't eat like little birds."

Remus chuckled as he raised his glass and Sirius offered a wink to his smiling godson.

"You are a genius, Mrs. Weasley," Remus said patting his nonexistent belly with contentment. "This was much better than the cake I made for this morning."

"I liked your cake," Harry insisted, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"I'm surprised you remember it at all, you were half asleep," Sirius said with a laugh, ruffling Harry's hair.

"Have you been staying up late?" Molly asked suspiciously. "I know its summer, Harry dear, but you don't want to go around looking like a raccoon. You two," she said sharply turning her attention to Lupin and Black. "You should set a good example and go to bed at a reasonable hour."

"Yeah, Harry, you should go to bed early so you can sneak out later and go flying," Fred said, George nodding in agreement as he took a second slice of cake.

"That is enough out of you two as well," Molly scolded. "Arthur, its almost time."

Mr. Weasley craned around in his seat to see the family clock. "Good lord, I'm Very Nearly Late." Taking one last bite of cake, Arthur stood and grabbed his hat. He then turned back to the table and smiled at Harry. "It was very nice to meet you, Harry. I'll meet up with you later on this afternoon at Diagon Alley if I managed to finish all that paperwork."

"Don't forget your briefcase!" Percy yelled after his dad, rushing outside to hand it to him before he apparated away.

"Full, Harry?" Sirius asked his godson who had set down his fork on his cake filled plate.

"Just resting."

The Animagus leaned down to whisper "It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"

Harry looked over the laughing, talking Weasleys with amazement and nodded.

"C'mon Harry, let me show you my room," Ron said suddenly, tugging on his arm.

"Take Ginny with you. We'll do presents after everyone's had a chance to rest," Mrs. Weasley insisted from where she stood arranging spells over the sink. She turned back to check on her guests and found only a third of Harry's enormous slice of birthday cake gone. "Harry, you didn't finish. Dear me, a boy not eating cake," she fussed.

"He'll want the rest later," Remus assured her.

"Thank you for lunch," Harry put in. "It was very nice."

"We'll have it!" Fred and George said helpfully, already reaching for the plate.

Harry gratefully pushed his portion towards him. It was delicious but very heavy. He stood to join Ron who had not stopped tugging at his friend.

Molly looked like she was about to protest when Sirius reach out and grabbed her hand and kissed it with a flourish. "Thank you for this marvelous meal, Molly. It was absolutely excellent."

Flustered for a moment it was long enough for the twins to make serious headway on Harry's cake. "Go on you two bottomless pits," Molly said in exasperation. "I'll wrap up the rest for you to take home tonight. I'll also wrap up some of the lunch for you to take back tonight for dinner," she said eyeing Black darkly.

"Go on ahead," Sirius said, shooing the boys and Ginny upstairs. Needing no further prompting the three of them departed.

Molly watched Harry go with pursed lips. That child was too thin and so small next to her own boys. Her Ron had mentioned something about Harry barely nibbling at meal time, and here faced with a wonderful meal and cake, _chocolate cake_, he hadn't even managed to clear his plate! He didn't even ask for seconds! Did he even receive three hot meals a day? And what about Mr. Lupin? If any man was wasting away it was him!

"Do either of you bachelors cook?" she asked pointedly.

Somewhat taken aback the Marauders stared at each other.

"Er . . . I make a rather good lamb curry," Sirius put in warily. "Though I tend to . . . cook other things rather well done."

Molly narrowed her eyes, not pleased.

"I can handle most foods," Remus added with a raised eyebrow as he drew his wand to help with some of the clean up.

_Well at least one of them cooks, though he's thinner than you usually see a person who knows his way around food, _she thought.

"Harry's a rather good cook though," Sirius said proudly. "Meats, soup, salad, breakfasts, vegetables, and pastries. He does some wonderful desserts."

The werewolf nodded. "Chocolate," he said as if that explained everything.

"_Harry_ cooks?" she squeaked. _Harry cooks but barely eats? He doesn't go to bed at a reasonable hour for little boys? Doesn't even own a comb?_

That settled it. Molly Weasley was writing a very strongly worded letter to Albus Dumbledore as soon as her guests flooed home this evening. She couldn't stand the thought of that poor child living in an unfit environment. After he'd been so abominably abused by those wretched muggles one would hope he would have a second chance with a good family like her own.

Maybe she could convince Albus to let Harry stay with them?

It was worth a shot.

* * *

Ron thundered up the stairs, Harry and Ginny behind. "That's Percy's room, he's been holed up in it all summer. Studying, he says. This is Fred and George's room and that's Mum and Dad's. Ginny's is right down there," Ron said pointing down the winding corridor about two and a half stories up.

Harry turned and smiled at Ginny who promptly turned cherry red and backed towards her room.

"Ginny?" Ron asked perplexed. "Aren't you coming?"

She opened and closed her mouth several times, pointed behind her towards her room and then dashed off.

"Was it something I said?" Harry asked worriedly.

Ron shook his head. "Nah, she's like that. She's been talking about you all summer. Dead annoying really. And now that you're here she doesn't say a word! Girls," he finished rolling his eyes.

"Better not say that in front of Hermione," Harry warned as they once again began ascending the steps.

"Hermione's not a girl!" Ron protested. At Harry's incredulous look he flushed. "W-well, I suppose she's a girl, female and-and all that. But she's not one of those moony, sighy girls that whispered and giggled about you all last year. She's--she's sensible! Almost as good as a boy, really."

"There were moony, sighy girls whispering about me?" Harry asked in bewilderment. "Why?"

"I asked Fred and George about it," Ron said as he pushed open his bedroom door. "They didn't really say much, just winked and nudged a lot."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it wasn't much help. Well, this is my room," he said with a flourish. "Right under the-- elf!"

Ron and Harry stopped amid the shockingly orange room at the sight of a small creature with big floppy ears bouncing on Ron's bed.

"I didn't know you had a house elf," Harry said in surprise.

The elf stopped what it was doing and turned to face the boys. Its huge eyes widened even more. "Harry Potter," it breathed.

"We don't own a house elf," Ron said. "I've never seen it before. Where did it come from?"

"Why are you asking me?" Harry said before turning his attention back to their mysterious guest. "Er . . . Hello," he said carefully. "Who are you? How can we help you? Are you, er . . . lost?"

"Help . . . me?" the little being echoed, giant eyes tearing. "Help Dobby?" It then promptly burst into tears.

Harry rushed forward, but there was nothing he could to do stop the wailing elf. "Ron, shut the door," he told his friend hurriedly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sure an elf like you would never be lost. Won't you sit down?"

"Si-sit DOWN?!" This produced a fresh flow of tears. "Never, never, never--"

"What did I say?" Harry asked wretchedly. "House elves always . . . every time I've talked to them . . . they just . . .what did I say wrong?" he asked Ron. He was horribly uncomfortable around the magical beings, afraid he was hurting them somehow because they always tried to cling to him, sobbing every time he tried to talk to them.

Ron hurriedly dug around his pockets for a slightly grubby handkerchief and offered it to the despondent creature. "Here, get a hold of yourself," he said gruffly, as put off by the elf's tears as he was his sister's, or even worse his mother's tears.

Dobby, if that was who the elf really was, raised it-- his head and stared at the proffered item. "Harry Potter's Wheezy is kind to Dobby as _well_!" he cried, burying his head in his hands and shaking with tears.

Ron looked taken aback. "Wheezy? Wheezy?" he echoed in dismay. "It's _Weasley_ and I'm Ron."

"Why shouldn't we be kind? You-you seem like a perfectly good elf," Harry assured him.

"No, no, Dobby is a bad elf, bad elf! Dobby should not be here, Dobby should not have left his home and his family to find Harry Potter but Dobby _had_ to! And then- and then Harry Potter is asking Dobby to sit down and asking if_ he _can help _Dobby_! And then Harry Potter's Wheezy is offering Dobby a handkerchief and no wizards are ever being so nice to Dobby. Ever!"

"You haven't met many nice wizards then," Ron put in. "Some wizards are absolutely beastly to their house elves."

"They are?" Harry said, shocked. He took in Dobby's ragged, filthy pillowcase/clothing, his emaciated, bruised state and felt sympathy and a painful sense of kinship to this being's predicament. "Well, _we_ aren't going to hurt you. You can stay as long as you want, and we'll keep you a secret," Harry said staunchly remembering what Padfoot did for him all those years ago.

With a cry the creature latched onto Harry's arm and hugged it tight. "Harry Potter is kind and good and as wonderful a wizard as everyone is saying!" Dobby pulled back slightly and sniffed. "But Dobby is here on _purpose_ and cannot stay. Dobby is bound to his family, Harry Potter sir. And until Dobby's family gives him clothes, Dobby cannot leave his _family, _Harry Potter sir."

"Well then, why did you come then?" Ron said reaching over to pry Dobby off his friend.

The house elf clasped his hands together and took a deep breath. "Dobby has uncovered a plot, a most terrible plot! Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts! Terrible things happening at Hogwarts if he goes back! If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts this year he will die!"

* * *

Tbc What did you think of the Weasleys? I tried to capture their hectic and wonderfully rambunctious family life. I love writing Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. I hope you enjoyed it.

**Thank you everyone who reviewed! I am so glad you guys like this story. For those of you who reviewed with concerns and comment/questions read below:**

**NightSpear-** Thank you! I like to think that every time I write I get just a bit better too. (Though it makes me cringe to read my older work though.) Keep reading.

**TeeDee-** THE best? Wow. Not sure I agree for my part (though for neutral's, surely) but I'm flattered! As for Moony's on again off again paranoia . . . we shall see.

**me-** Spell check, grammar check, betas, arg! Sorry for the errors. I know how mistakes in writing can be very distracting. I've uploaded another version of Chapter One, hopefully without all the annoying errors. I hope. gulp Remus give in and do Sirius' dirty work? I think you doubt the strength of Moony to face off against Padfoot's puppy dog eyes.

**athenakitty-** Since he bought his wand in "Let Winterlight Come" Harry has had trouble using and channeling his full magical power through the phoenix feather core. He hid it most of his first year, fake waving the wand and using his magic wordlessly to get by in classes. Quirrell noticed though and Harry is getting Sirius to help him work with the wand. Sirius got the car on accident when in neutrals "Hunting for Marbles" (the story right before this one) Ron and Hermione flew/crashed the Weasley car into Moor House. Sirius is planning on returning it to the Weasleys as we speak. Sirius doesn't own a car to enchant; he's got his motorbike. :)

**AC-** Ahh, the mysterious job of Sirius Black. You've got to wait till third year for the answer to that question.

**LilPup-** While the scene between Harry and Snape about Harry's essay in "Half of a Dueling Range" would be great fun to write there are two problems. First, Snape assigns the essay on uses of dragon's blood during the summer between second and third year not first and second year so we have a year to go (which makes Sirius's story to Harry explaining things all the more ridiculous). Second, neutral I believe has first dibbs on writing that scene as a short side story. But good eye for catching it! As for Ginny's crush, Sirius still sees his godson as a six year old and it is inconceivable that anyone else sees him older. It will take something of a wake up call that girls are in fact after Harry and I'm not guaranteeing that will happen in Harry's second year but it is an idea for later. Thanks. :)

**Barbara-** Lockhart is in for it; Sirius will see to that! evil laugh As always you read my mind: am I that transparent about Dobby and Flourish and Blotts? Must work harder. Oooh, interesting idea about polyjuice. Hmm. Must think on that.

**GY-** Yup, there is a bit of a gap between "Hunting for Marbles" and this story, but neutral and I talked about the direction of this so I hope you all enjoy it. As for me writing Harry's second year, unless neutral tells me otherwise I plan to write all of Harry's years I can with neutral's input and help. She is so nice and it is such a fantastic opportunity to work with her. As for the wand, it is sort of counterintuitive that using a wand is hard for Harry, but it isn't about lack of knowledge or lack of power it is too much power to harness through the holly wand. I am very glad you enjoy second year so far.

Review? 


	3. CHAPTER III: The Fabulous Destiny of Gil...

Next Chapter, here we go!

* * *

CHAPTER III: The Fabulous Destiny of Gilderoy Lockhart

* * *

Both boys blinked at the house elf for one long moment, before . . .

"And this is different from last year how?" Ron asked with a laugh.

Harry shot his friend a smile. "What sort of a plot? Who's behind it?"

The elf took his head in his hands and squeezed. "_Dobby-- cannot-- say_!" he wheezed in pain.

"All right, don't-don't hurt yourself!" Ron said quickly.

"If you can't say, then how did you get permission to leave your home and come this far to warn us?" Harry asked. "Did someone send you with a warning?"

If at all possible, Dobby's hunted look grew and his eyes got even bigger. Fighting for breath, the creature began ramming his head against the wall.

"Oi! My posters!"

Various members of the Chudley Cannons were nearly shaken off their brooms.

"Dobby, stop! Stop!" Harry yelled trying to pull the elf away.

Downstairs Sirius hearing the noise placed the wrapped present on the table and stared up at the ceiling.

"It's just the family ghoul," Molly said placatingly. "It's always dropping pipes and groaning."

The Marauders shared a look.

"That didn't sound like any ghoul," Remus said as he finished pouring himself a cup of tea.

There was some distant yelling.

"That settles it," Sirius muttered hurrying towards the stairs, Remus close behind.

In Ron's room, the two boys had managed to stop Dobby from further self-harm.

"No-no-no. I is coming on my own. I is coming to help Harry Potter _on my own!_" Dobby insisted. "Dobby is having to throw himself down the stairs when he is getting home."

"But _what _is going to happen? Why can't I go back to--"

There was a knock at the door. "Harry? Ron?" Sirius' voice came through the door. "Is everything all right?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other, trying to think of what to say.

"Er . . ."

The doorknob rattled. "Harry, can you open the door?"

"I didn't lock the door," Ron said slowly.

The boys looked down at the elf who offered them a smile.

"You locked us in?" Ron demanded angrily.

"Who locked you in?!" roared a voice from outside. "Harry?!"

"Unlock the door, Dobby," Harry ordered.

"Harry Potter must first promise not to go back to Hogwarts this year."

Several spells were being hurled at the door. Molly Weasley's voice had come to join the calls from outside.

"Dobby, you can't keep us locked in here," Harry tried to reason. "It won't keep anyone safe. And if there is danger at Hogwarts then everyone should be warned."

"Why are you reasoning with him?" Ron said incredulously. "Unlock the door and let us out!" he ordered, voice rising. "Unlock it or-or Harry will do it! Harry?"

Harry turned from Dobby and stared at the door, reaching for his magic.

"Harry Potter cannot open--" Dobby said fidgeting and beginning to twitch nervously. "Harry Potter _cannot_--"

With a bang of power that made everyone's hair stand on end the door flew open.

Sirius and Remus tumbled into the room, wands drawn.

Crying out in shock, Dobby vanished with a crack.

"Harry, are you all right?" Sirius asked anxiously, sweeping Harry to his side. "What was it?" he demanded leaning over to check Harry over. "Where did it go? Did it hurt you?"

Mrs. Weasley grabbed her youngest son in a tight hug. "Ron, are you all right? Why couldn't we get the door open? Were you playing with magic outside of school?"

"No, this was house elf magic," Remus said firmly as he stared about the orange room, wand still drawn.

"House elf?" Sirius echoed.

"We don't have a house elf!" Percy said from the doorway where he, the twins, and Ginny peered into their brother's room.

"I wish we had a house elf," George muttered. Fred nodded in agreement.

"There was a house elf, Mum. It was trying to get Harry to promise not to go back to Hogwarts this year. He said that Harry would die if he did!" Ron explained. "He locked the door and said we couldn't get out until we promised. But Harry managed to get the door open."

"A threat?" Sirius said harshly. "Someone sent a house elf here to _threaten_ you?"

"It was either a threat or a warning," Harry said softly. "He couldn't have come here on his own."

"But house elves can get around their master's orders if they really want to," Sirius said grimly. "This settles things. You're not going."

"What?" Harry asked perplexed as his godfather led him back down the stairs to the Weasley's living room. "Not going where?

"You're not going to school this year. No Hogwarts. Last year was bad enough, but you're not going with house elves and death threats. I absolutely forbid it. I won't have you putting yourself in danger. You can finish your studies at home where it's safe."

Remus sighed as he sat down and buried his head in his hands. Of all the places of all the times to have this conversation, Sirius had to do it here.

The Weasleys had spilled into the living room after them, shamelessly watching and listening in.

"But-but-but--" Ron sputtered incredulously.

"Quidditch!" A stunned George managed to gasp. "What about Quidditch?"

"Harry can still fly. I'm not taking away his _broom_, I'm not crazy or anything," the Animagus scoffed.

The Weasleys looked as if they doubted that.

"His education!" Percy yelled almost as shocked at his tone as everyone else in his family was. "You're depriving him of his education."

"Harry's education is just fine. He'll learn more not having to worry about Death Eaters and Voldemort."

The Weasleys all cringed at the name of the Dark Lord.

Ron rallied. "Harry, say something! This is your future he's talking about," He urged.

"You really think I shouldn't go?" Harry asked looking up at his godfather as if every answer could be found there.

Sirius sat down on the couch and pulled Harry over to stand in front of him, gripping the boy by the shoulders. "Harry, you nearly _died _last term. Now there's a house elf showing up promising _death_ if you return to Hogwarts. Do you understand what I'm getting at, Harry? Do you understand _why_?"

Remus looked up, knowing what was coming; Harry would not disagree with his beloved godfather.

Harry nodded slowly. "I understand." He turned to Ron. "I-I don't really have go this year, not really," he said hurriedly. "Not like last year. I can stay home," he assured his godfather.

"There, see?" Sirius said with manic glee.

Ginny, looking near tears turned and ran up the stairs.

"Harry," Ron said desperately "You really don't want to go back?"

The black haired boy bit his lip. "I love Hogwarts. It's wonderful. I'd like to go back and see all our classmates again," Harry confessed wistfully. Sirius flinched at his tone. "But I don't mind staying at home," Harry added, quickly noting Sirius's distress.

"Mum, do-do something!" Ron cried.

"Do what? I'm not Harry's guardian. If Sirius thinks Harry would be safer at home away from all sorts of mischief, that's his choice."

Ron grabbed hold of Harry's arm protectively as if Black and Lupin were about to steal Harry away right from under his nose.

"Well-well, he's still coming with us to Diagon Alley this afternoon," Ron said staunchly as if daring to be contradicted. "C'mon, Harry, lets go open presents." He then proceeded to drag his bewildered friend to the kitchen.

"I'm going to firecall Albus, find out something about that house elf," Sirius said firmly. "If I can use your fire, Molly?" he asked.

She directed him to the fireplace and waited until the rest of her children had joined Harry in the kitchen to open his presents from the Weasley family before turning to Remus. "What is that man thinking? How irresponsible can he be to take a child out of school?"

The werewolf located his tea and stirred it idly. "He's thinking about keeping Harry safe and happy." Remus looked up and pinned the woman with his amber eyes. "He may be overprotective and high strung, but no one, _no one _loves Harry more, would sacrifice more for that boy. James Potter didn't make a mistake in appointing Sirius as Harry's godfather if that is what you're thinking," he said sharply. "And after all the horrible things that have happened to Harry, Sirius has every right to be worried. Don't be so quick to judge," he scolded softly.

Taken aback, Molly felt a twinge of guilt for being so harsh on Black at lunch. "But to withdraw him from Hogwarts," Molly pressed, shaking his head.

Remus took a sip of his tepid tea, whispered a spell and then blew on the now hot liquid. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Harry will be on the train come September 2nd."

"How do you know?"

Remus merely smiled secretly and stood. "We'd best go and see what Harry got for his birthday."

* * *

Diagon Alley was bustling with shoppers. With Hogwarts letters in hand families dashed to and fro. The street was a riot of color and noise.

The Weasleys, Harry, Sirius, and Remus arrived via magic car much to Molly's disapproval and her children's delight. They touched down near Gringotts and spilled out of the car, eager to explore and shop. They met up with Hermione and her parents outside Gringotts where Ron proceeded to spill the appalling news.

Hermione was furious. Furious enough to go toe to toe with Sirius Black, a man who still terrified her much the same way Professor Snape did Harry. "How can you take Harry out of Hogwarts? Have you no consideration for his future? His career? _Learning?_"

Sirius, backing up with every word, looked beseechingly at Moony and mouthed "save me." The werewolf was having none of it.

"Harry let's head over to Flourish and Blotts," Remus said choosing to evilly ignore his friend's plea for help.

"But shouldn't we help--?" Harry began.

"No, no, no, let them talk," Lupin insisted. "Sirius needs to visit the vault anyway."

Ron looking smug and very, very pleased with himself handed Harry his Hogwarts letter. "If Mum won't convince Sirius to let you go, Hermione certainly will," he assured his friend.

Harry didn't take the letter. "But I'm not going to Hogwarts."

Ron's face crumpled so completely at the words that Harry quickly took the letter from his grasp and opened it to make his friend cheer up.

The redhead immediately beamed at Harry's compliance.

"Well, Harry, what books are on the list?" Remus asked, hiding a smile at Ron's transparent manipulation of his friend.

"I've got all of them at home: Standard Book of Spells, the next level up in transfiguration, the same book for Potions . . . a lot of new defense books though written by . . ." here Harry frowned "Gilderoy Lockhart." He looked up anxiously hoping the name hadn't reminded Remus of his unpublished book. But the werewolf just smiled and smoothed down his wayward hair.

"Where?" Hermione asked suddenly from Ron's elbow making the boy jump in fright.

"Gahh! Hermione, don't do that! I though you were still yelling at Sirius."

"I wasn't yelling!" the bushy haired Gryffindor protested, blushing fiercely. "I was merely pointing out some of the flaws in home schooling Harry for the year. I mean neither he or Mr. Lupin are certified to--" Hermione broke off realizing the werewolf in question could heard her every word.

"Sirius and Remus are great teachers," Harry protested. "I learned most of my spells from them. Remus is brilliant at explaining things and Sirius knows _everything_."

"Really Harry," Hermione scoffed. "No one knows _everything_."

"Though you certainly talk to us like you do," Ron muttered in a sotto voice.

"Ronald Weasley! I heard that!" Molly snapped joining their group, purse now heavier from her trip to Gringotts. They rounded the winding road and caught sight of a massive crowd trying to force its way into the packed bookstore.

"What's going on?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry tried to peer through the sea of bodies while Fred and George, the tallest Weasleys present, alternated jumping up and down trying to catch sight of the cause of the commotion at Flourish and Blotts.

"Looks like a--" George said.

"--book signing to me," Fred finished.

"Really?" asked Hermione eagerly. "I wonder who it could be?"

Molly Weasley pushed her way forward and gasped as she caught sight of the window display. "It's Gilderoy Lockhart! He's signing books till 4:30 this afternoon. We haven't missed him! He's still inside."

Hermione and Ginny whirled to face each other, grasped hands and sighed dreamily "Gilderoy Lockhart."

"_Gil_deroy?" Ron asked, mouth twisting in distaste.

"We can _actually_ meet him. He's written our _entire_ Defense book list!" Hermione squealed. Ron stared at her as if she suddenly grown two heads and began backing away slowly.

"Mum fancies him," George said authoritatively.

"Got some money, Harry. Goblins were frightfully slow. What are we looking at?" Sirius said, coming up behind Harry.

"Lockhart is signing his books," Harry informed the Animagus.

"We should go in then and meet the man," Sirius said firmly. "What do you say, Remus?"

The werewolf shook his head. "We can get the books after his signing is done. It will only be another half hour. We should go visit the apothecary first. Even if you aren't going to Hogwarts, you must keep up with Potions," he told Harry who looked a bit glum at the news of further instruction in a subject he was horrible at. "Besides, there is no way we can get in there," he said gesturing to the sea of witches and wizards shuffling about in a winding line.

"Here," Mrs. Weasley said taking charge. "I'll stand in line to get the Defense books while you squeeze inside to find the rest of your school books."

Remus took one more look at the bustling, eager crowd and turned his back to it grabbing Harry's school list. "I'll head for the apothecary if you want to wander about for a while, Harry."

Sirius gave his friend a worried look. He knew despite Remus' calm manner it wasn't easy to come face to face with Lockhart's book signing while he was still waiting to hear back from his editor. But Sirius wasn't going to press. The book was very important to his friend; it was a sign that he could make his own way in the wizarding world and be respected for his knowledge and achievements. Instead Sirius joked. "You just want to hit the confectionary before it closes," he said with a laugh.

Not bothering to disagree, Remus hurried off with a smile.

"Is Moony going to be all right?" Harry asked softly.

Sirius nodded. "Don't worry, he just needs a moment. He knows we're here for him. Now," Sirius said rubbing his hands together and scowling. "Let's take a look at this supposed Defense guru that stops our illustrious Mister Moony's book from the press, shall we, Mister Talons?" he whispered in his godson's ear, propelling them forward.

Without having to shove the crowd parted before them with several well-placed glares from the Marauder. They made their way into the bookstore, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and the twins trailing along behind through the miraculous gap of desperate Lockhart fans who still had some sense to avoid a glaring Sirius Black.

Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting at a table surrounded by pictures of his dazzling face all looking adoring and charming with very, very white teeth that constantly smiled.

Harry was rather uncomfortably reminded of sharks, that and his cousin Dudley preparing to eat something.

The wizard was wearing forget-me-not blue robes that matches his eyes and a wizard hat perched on his perfectly coiffed blond locks at a jaunty angle. He was currently telling some smitten middle-age housewitch a joke that had him laughing in a bright tenor, taking time to tilt this way and that so the photographer hovering about him could take plenty of pictures.

It was almost painful to watch.

Sirius shook his head in disgust. "What an utter peacock. That . . . _thing_ on the best seller list for 28 weeks. Disgusting." He picked up a copy of _Magical Me_ as if it were some dead decomposing animal and opened it to a random page and read for a moment before putting the book down in disgust. "Incredible what some people will buy."

"Maybe he only dresses like that for public appearances?" Harry offered tentatively, not willing to completely dismiss the man as a viable human being without definite proof.

"Not bloody likely," Sirius muttered.

Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to hear that over the din of the store. He looked up and saw the Weasleys and Sirius standing beside his line of admirers.

And then he saw Harry.

Lockhart leapt to his feet, pushing aside the housewitch with barely a thought to get a clearer view.

"As I live and breathe, _Harry Potter_!" he shouted.

The crowd turned as one and seemed to seethe forward as if to grab hold of their savior, separating Sirius and Harry for an instant.

But that was all it took.

A photographer grabbed Harry and yanked him round the table and flung him into Lockhart's grasp.

Gilderoy positively simpered, grasping at Harry as if he were a prize from Witch Weekly. "Smile, Mr. Potter, together we rate the front pag-AGH!"

The furious Animagus had vaulted over the table and pulled Harry back against him, growling fiercely just as the flashbulb popped.

"Just what in Mordred's name do you think you were doing?!" Black snarled. "You!" he said suddenly, pointing at the stunned photographer who was trying to edge away. "Give Me That Camera."

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, the Daily Prophet photographer vanished into the avidly watching crowd.

"Sirius Black. The Ex-Death Eater, the only escapee from Azkaban Prison!" Lockhart exclaimed, playing to the attentive audience. "Well, well this is a surprise, ladies and gentleman. Perhaps you'll be treated to a sporting duel between the two of us. What do you say, Sirius? Winner faces Harry?" he asked with an exaggerated wink.

The audience laughed and there was a spattering of applause, not loud since most were still put off by the truly imposing figure of Sirius Black who stood above Lockhart by several inches, and was much broader across the shoulders and arms.

The black haired Marauder leaned in close to Lockhart. "My godson is _not_ a publicity prop," he hissed.

"O-of course not, my dear fellow, of course not!" Gilderoy said hurriedly, backing up a few spaces. "Let me instead offer my apologies for surprising you." He turned his attention back to his audience, voice filling with good cheer and confidence. "Little did young Harry Potter know that upon entering Flourish and Blotts to pick up his school books he would not be _buying_ them but receiving my collected works, free of charge! This gift will no doubt help my young friend with his new Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum which I shall be teaching. Yes, its true. I shall be a professor, a teacher and molder of young minds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not only that," he said over the applause "Not only that but little Harry will also be receiving an autographed copy of my new autobiography, _Magical__ Me._"

The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry's arms were suddenly filled with a pile of books. Staggering under the weight, his glasses slipped to the edge of his nose. He stared down at the nauseatingly bright covers full of pictures of Lockhart and his mind wondered absently what Remus' book would look like published.

Beside him, Sirius growled and made as if to lunge at Lockhart. Realizing that things were rapidly spinning out of control and there was no Moony to put them both back on track, Harry stumbled away from the table trying to hide in the crowd. There was only noise, the people, hands brushing out to stroke his hair and his clothes, like was some holy relic-- feeling horribly unbalanced Harry ducked his head and practically ran into Ginny Weasley.

"Here, Ginny," he said, desperately offering her the books. "I don't really need them. I've got plenty of defense books at home. You have them." She made as if to refuse but he said "Please" and she slowly took them from him and put them in her cauldron.

Free of his burden, Harry wanted only to disappear and he dodged around robed figures for the exit, ignoring Ron's voice calling him above the noise in the crowd when--

"Running out on your fan club, Potter? What, no autograph session?"

Harry looked up and met Draco Malfoy's smug face.

"They're here to see Lockhart," Harry explained, forcing back his temper.

Malfoy snorted. "Didn't stop you from horning in on the press now, did it?"

Harry shook his head. "I didn't mean--"

"Yes, yes," the other boy said, waving away Harry's words almost magnanimously. "You never venture out but once or twice a year, it's not your fault, it's _never_ your fault," he spat.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron's voice intruded from beside Harry. The boy looked behind him and realized all the Weasley children and Hermione had caught up with him.

"Why nothing at all, Weasley. I'm just trying to enjoy a nice day at Diagon Alley among wizards and witches but unfortunately my experience has been utterly ruined by the . . . people here." Draco raised his chin, pointing at the very obviously muggle Dr. and Dr. Granger over by the counter trying to figure out the wizard money system. "They'll let anything in here nowadays."

"There's nothing wrong with being muggle," Hermione said forcefully. "They have as much a right to be here as you do, Malfoy."

"Really?" the blond sneered. "What possible right could they have to this world? They're nothing more than filthy--"

"Manners, Draco," a cool voice interrupted seamlessly.

An older man, with Draco's grey eyes and ice blond hair towered over what was obviously his son. Draco looked up at his father before wordlessly stepping aside to give the man the floor.

"Well, well. We all seem to be here on a shopping trip. Weasleys," he identified, picking a book out of Ginny's cauldron and examining the stained, cover. "Muggleborns with their . . . _parents_," he hissed returning the book with a thud into the cauldron. "And Harry Potter," he finished, eyes resting on the boy in front of him.

"Lucius Malfoy," Harry said simply, not backing down beneath the other's piercing gaze.

"You keep the most extraordinary company, Mr. Potter: those from outside our world and those from our world at the lowest possible social standing," Lucius smirked.

"Yet, strangely enough," Harry put in, voice strong "they are the very best people."

Draco was grinding his teeth so hard it was almost audible.

Lucius smiled down at him patronizingly. "A child's understanding. How . . . _refreshing_."

Harry's eyes narrowed in anger. He opened his mouth to reply when another red head intruded on the scene.

"Ginny, boys! I'm so glad I finally caught up with you," Arthur Weasley huffed as he made it into the madhouse that was Flourish and Blotts. "You wouldn't _believe_ the queue to get into this place. You'd think there was a celeb . . ." The wizard trailed off as his eyes met the steel stare of one Lucius Malfoy.

"Well, well, one _big_ happy family all together is it?" Malfoy said with a smirk. "That makes how many of you? 12? 13?"

"Malfoy," Arthur spat without any pretence of civility. "I would think you would be busy at home hiding illegal artifacts under your bed, or perhaps _your wife's bed _instead of out shopping. I thought you of all people would have the manners to prepare for company."

Lucius grip on his cane tightened and the silver snakehead hissed in annoyance.

"Company, Arthur? Is that what you call you and your lackey in your tiny, little cupboard of an office? If you _do_ chose to come round, you'll be sure to use the back entrance, won't you? Your kind are best dealt with through house elves, you certainly dress alike," he sneered eyes perusing the shabbily dressed Weasleys. "I understand they also speak your language; that of lesser wizards, those who consort with other . . . lesser beings." Here those eyes focused on Hermione as they would an insect on the ground. "You certainly can't expect better given the company you keep, Weasley . . . and here I thought your family could sink no lower--"

Without another word Mr. Weasley threw himself at Mr. Malfoy knocking them and a giant display of Lockhart's books to the ground. There were a flurry of blows and tangled robes as they each tried to pound the living daylights out of the other. The Weasley boys' cheers were drowned out by the panic of other shoppers in the store. A stampede towards the entrance began amid the chaos and Harry was shoved to the floor, his fingers stepped on.

Draco and Ginny landed practically on top of him, Ginny spilling the contents of her cauldron directly on Harry's head burying him in books, Draco kicking and hitting and swearing at both of them.

"Break it up!" a familiar voice roared. The sounds of magical sparks filled the air. "Everyone STOP NOW!"

There was no denying the authority in that voice, a voice made infamous one November morning amid the rubble of a muggle street strewn with bodies. Witches and wizards froze and looked up in trepidation. Arthur Weasley held off choking Lucius Malfoy and Lucius held off trying to beat in Arthur's head with his cane.

A furious Sirius Black shoved through a terrified crowd until he reached epicenter of the fight. With nary a glance at the heads of the Malfoy and Weasley family he yanked Draco up off the ground by his collar and helped Ginny up by grabbing her arm and then focused on unearthing his godson from the pile of books.

"Harry? Harry? Are you all right?" Sirius called as he threw books aside left and right, not caring where they flew, but having enough presence of mind to lob some Lockhart's way.

Straightening his glasses, Harry peered up at his anxious godfather. "I'm fine," he said a bit breathlessly.

"Arthur! Get up this instant! What kind of example are you setting!?" Molly demanded helping up her husband. "Brawling in public with the likes of Malfoy and in front of the _children_."

"Molly, dear--" Arthur began, touching his tender, swollen eye carefully.

"And _you_--" Molly said, whirling around to face the now impeccable Lucius, his robes, his hair, nothing out of place except the fat bloody lip Mr. Weasley had given him.

"My good people, my dear friends!" a perfectly modulated voice intruded and the blue vision that was Gilderoy Lockhart pushed his way to the center of attention. "Now, now, I know everyone is eager to see me, to hear me, and get a copy of my wonderful book _Magical Me_ but there's plenty for all. There is no need to fight, no need to trample the poor, dear Boy Who Lived," he said gesturing down to where Harry sat on his knees amid the fallen books. Like well-trained animals the audience stared, and murmurs of pity and agreement rippled through the crowd.

"Typical," Draco muttered as he stared down at Harry, kicking a book angrily.

Indignant, Harry scrambled to his feet ready to explain that it wasn't his fault, when Sirius took hold of his shoulder and began leading him out of the store.

"But--" Harry looked back and could see between the milling bodies, the Weasleys helping Ginny gather up her school supplies and Draco being led away by his father.

"Come on Harry, let's get out of here before I do something Moony will regret," the Animagus said darkly.

* * *

Remus Lupin did not like the apothecary. It was dark, dank, and dungeon-like, to say nothing about the smell.

And when you are a werewolf, the less said about the smell the better.

_But it is better than smiling into the face of Gilderoy Lockhart while we buy that idiot's books_, he thought to himself savagely as he began hurrying through the shelves and stocking Harry's potion kit for second year. Hopefully Sirius would come to his senses and let Harry attend Hogwarts. Hopefully Harry would get along better in Potions this year. Hopefully Snape would be nicer to Harry--

Remus couldn't help but burst out laughing at that rather ridiculous thought.

"If you are looking for the joke shop, Lupin, it is further down. This is the _apothecary_," a sneering voice cut in.

_Speak of the dark wizard_, Remus thought with an inward smile. "Snape," he greeted turning to face the man. "What a pleasant surprise."

Black eyes narrowed disdainfully. "It is neither pleasant nor a surprise but a truly unfortunate occurrence to be anywhere near you." The Potion Master turned his attention to the potion kit in Lupin's arms. "Taking a belated interest in potions? Expanding your work skills in hopes of _finally_ getting a job? You are better off putting down the ingredients and selling yourself to the apothecary."

Remus sighed. The man never gave up. "For your information, this is Harry's potion kit."

Snape idly plucked a bottle of silver nitrate out of the kit and turned it over in his hands. "So the Boy Who Lived can't even be bothered to get his own school supplies now, can he?"

"I don't know why I bother even _trying_ to talk to you," Remus muttered as he moved towards the counter to pay for the potion ingredients, Snape trailing along behind him like an overly large black duckling.

"You forgot this," The Slytherin said with false solicitness shoving the silver nitrate into the werewolf's face. Remus could help but flinch back.

Chuckling darkly the Potion master deposited the bottle into the kit. "Once a beast . . ."

"Gods you are just too much. I try to eat you once,** once! **after warning you to _stay away _and you just can't let it go," Remus said fuming. "It's not like I was even in my right mind or can remember it at all," he mumbled.

"There's something for that," Snape put in, all business-like.

"What?" Remus asked bewildered, not sure he was following. "There's something for what?" he asked suspiciously.

Snape sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand. _Gryffindors_. "There is something I've been developing to calm a beast's rage, possibly extend those animals truncated life span some years," he said slowly, enunciating each word as if he were speaking to an idiot. "It is still in the testing stage, but I've had some success with my subjects keeping their minds during transformation."

Agog, Remus could only gape at the man.

A potion that would allow him to remain sane during the transformation.

Something that would prevent him from harming anyone on accident like Sirius or Harry.

A potion that could extend his lifespan years past forty or maybe fifty and in doing so extend Harry and Sirius' as well.

He had to be dreaming.

Never had Lupin hated his cursed existence more than when he and Sirius realized that by tying the three of them together with blood, when one of them died the other two would follow. The Marauders had kept it a secret from their young charge, not wanting Harry to be burdened with the knowledge of how short his time was. If Harry had just been bound to Sirius his lifespan would still be into his hundreds as the Black family, old as it was, was notoriously long lived even for wizards. But werewolves . . . werewolves were lucky if the strain of monthly transformations didn't kill them well before forty. And Lupin was nearly thirty-three. But now salvation was at hand in the form of one Severus Snape.

"I call it Wolfsbane," Snape said with dark pleasure at naming the salvation of a werewolf after the plant that could readily kill them as much as silver could.

"Are you--do you make any of it regularly for-for--"

"For your kind?" Snape finished bitingly. "I'm not sure why I should be forced to repeat myself for you let alone anyone else but I am still in the _testing stage_. _However_," here the potion master paused to ensure he had Lupin's complete attention. "However, I am always in need of more test subjects, those willing to risk a bad batch or a wrong dosage in the interests of furthering my research. You would have to pay for your own ingredients, beg the money from your _revolting_ friend Black, and I would require--"

"Yes, yes!" Remus cut him off eagerly, plunking down the money for Harry's supplies. "I'll do it! Whatever you need! You firecall me and we'll make all the arrangements."

The door to the apothecary opened and Sirius' voice could be heard echoing around the musty interior. "MoooOooony? Are you in here?"

Remus stilled. _Oh gods, what would Sirius say, willingly taking help from Snape? About being a test subject?_

He'd be furious and guilty by turns: furious about Snape of course as well as the danger to Remus, and guilty because it was his life as well as Harry's Remus was trying to save that dreadful night that bound them.

_He mustn't know._

"Just finished!" Remus called over his shoulder, grabbing up Harry's potion kit. "On second thought, _I'll_ firecall _you_," he told Snape once more and hurried out to join his family.

* * *

tcb evil laugh This is not the end of Mister Padfoot's most brilliant torment and revenge of one Gilderoy Lockhart. I hope you all liked the scene in the bookshop and also Draco's involvement without the sudden movie cannon attack of what can only be sudden onset kleptomania. Speaking of the second movie, it is much bereft of a knock down, drag out fight between Weasley and Malfoy just had to stick it in. J Burning questions no doubt remain. Will Harry sneak off to Hogwarts? What will happen if Sirius finds out Remus has put himself in the hands of one Potion Master Snape? Will Molly Weasley be writing to Dumbledore after all?

To my reviewers . . . THANK YOU

**athenakitty**- Ginny's got a crush! Ginny's got a crush! Woe befall her if, no when, Sirius finds out that a GIRL is after his precious godson. The Weasleys remember quite well Voldemort in power and though they realize that Harry is just a child there is definite evidence that Harry is their powerful wizarding savior. When confronted with that, there shall be awe. Sirius sand Remus will NEVER mention the Dursleys in specific detail to those who don't know. That would be exposing a horrific time of Harry's childhood to "non-family." Harry's control will come as you know from future neutral fics in this world. As for Sirius' desire to buy the car . . . well first Arthur has to want to sell and he loves it too. As for Harry reaching Hogwarts . . . we'll see.

**Spacecatdet**- Thanks! As for who is the Prisoner in third year . . . if you recall at the end of "Of Western Stars" a certain Peter Pettigrew was caught after nearly murdering Sirius and Harry.

**paradox01**- Remus' secret will not come out for a while and by that time Molly will see the man behind the "monster."

**He mele no lino**- Yes, I know. I rule. Grin

**LilPup**- I am so glad that I grasp the Weasley family. They are hard to write. Molly's concerns over Harry will no doubt soon be soothed, but lets just say sometimes a random thought or choice can have profound effects. I shall say no more, for that is a story for another time. Hope you continue to enjoy.

**Skipastarseeker**- er . . . thanks. I think. grin

**Jah-** you are welcome. More bouncing? First you, then Skipastarseeker . . . my story inspires bouncing. I shall take it happily!

**grand admiral chelli-** Fell over laughing? Really? When?

**Jedi Sapphire-** Never give up hope. I do have a plan for stories based on the books all the way up to five so far. There shall be more.

**Somnio-** Yes, Remus and chocolate and I am so astounded that the third movie confirms this obsession that I added to this chapter on a whim when I wrote about it months ago. Funny, huh?

**LadyLilyPotter-** I know there wasn't too much Harry in the last chapter, but who could help being shocked silent between the Weasley chaos and Molly's cooking? As for concern about Harry's home life, Harry is not your everyday 12 year old boy but the savior of the wizard world. Further Sirius is an Azkaban escapee that many still believe is guilty and there are rumors that circulate that Remus Lupin might in fact be a werewolf! Shocking, I know.

**terrorofthehighway-** Mollified. Tee hee, would you believe I didn't plan to write that!?

Review?


	4. CHAPTER IV: Mister Talon's Wild Ride

Reviews and Notes at the bottom. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER IV: Mister Talon's Wild Ride

* * *

Diagon Alley in the early evening appeared to be lit with faery fire. Lights twinkled overhead as Harry and his guardians attempted to find the Weasleys and Grangers amidst the crowd. Sirius was taking great pains to explain in gleeful detail how Arthur Weasley had beat up Lucius Malfoy. 

"So anything _else_ happen in Flourish and Blotts after I left?" Remus asked as he shrunk down their purchases.

"We met the new Defense teacher," Harry said rather glumly.

Remus raised a brow at that. "You did? Who?"

"Guess," Sirius snarled.

Remus halted in place. _Who could . . . ? _"Oh, no." It was too horrible to contemplate. "Oh, _no_."

"Oh, _yes_," Black said savagely. "Gilderoy Lockhart voted best smile award, blah blah blah. That peacock, that absolute prat! He _assaulted_ Harry in the shop today."

"_What_?!" Remus grabbed Harry and brushed his hair out of his eyes and peered into that small, earnest face. "Harry, are you all right? What did that maniac do?"

"H-he grabbed me and then Sirius was there and the reporter took a picture and then the bookcase fell and Draco and Ginny . . ." Harry tried to explain.

"It will be all over the Daily Prophet tomorrow," Padfoot grumbled. "When we get home I'm contacting my solicitor and suing them _all_!"

Calm now that he realized Sirius had prevented any bodily harm from coming to Harry, Remus took the boy's hand in his as they continued along the Alley. "I thought you said Arthur was the only one who did any assaulting, " Remus said wryly.

"Malfoy was bloodied good and proper," Sirius said proudly. "I never knew Arthur had it in him."

"Harry!" Ron's voice suddenly rose over the bustle of the Alley. In the distance, red hair unmistakable was Ron, calling and waving and jumping up and down so his friend could see him.

Harry waved back and ran forward to meet them.

"Harry, wait!" Sirius called.

"Let him go," Remus said. "He's still well in sight for your stalking."

"I do not stalk!" Sirius countered indignantly. "Besides even if I _did_ stalk, which I do_ not_, I'm completely justified. You didn't see the crowd in the bookstore when that moron Lockhart had the gall to haul Harry up like a display piece to show off. I swear they were about to eat him alive, pawing at him like that. And now that idiot is going to be teaching at Hogwarts of all places. I don't know what Dumbledore is thinking. First a possessed Defense teacher and now this walking fashion plate! Well let me tell you, I am heartily glad Harry is not going this year. Best decision I ever made," Sirius said firmly.

Rolling his eyes, Remus restrained himself from letting out an enormous sigh. Sirius never changed. "Look at it this way. Gilderoy Lockhart is hardly likely to be a Death Eater in disguise. I don't even think Voldemort could stomach the man."

"He just might be desperate enough, the bodiless son of a bit--"

"Hush," the werewolf scolded as they caught up with Weasleys and Hermione just in time to hear Harry ask.

"Did you just make it out of Flourish and Blotts?"

Ron nodded. "We tried to leave just as Lockhart was leaving. It was crazy. All these witches fawning over him!"

"Mum and Dad are still trapped alive in there, so are the Grangers," George said mournfully. "Who knows if they'll ever escape."

Fred nodded. "Dad told us to run while we still could."

"He did not!" Percy corrected in annoyance, pushing the bridge of his glasses up.

"There is nothing wrong with recognizing a great wizard and his achievements, Ron" Hermione scolded. "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "I'm fine, Hermione."

"Come on then, let's check out Quality Quidditch Supplies," Sirius put in drawing a resounding cheer from the male Weasleys.

"They have the newest broom on display, the Nimbus 2001!" Ron said eagerly as they hurried to the shop window.

"They have a new model out already?" Harry asked catching his first sight of the perfectly polished black handle.

"The broom store?" Hermione was dismayed. "If we go in there, I'll _never_ finish getting my supplies."

"We'll just be a minute, Hermione," Ron argued.

"No you won't," she countered knowingly, "You'll be hours! I know you two. Both of you are completely Quidditch mad! I haven't even got parchment and ink yet. And I used all of mine finishing summer assignments."

"You've done all your homework?" Ron asked incredulously. "_Already? _And how could you possibly use _all _your parchment. No teacher wanted more than two feet and that was just Professor Snape."

"I believe in doing a thorough job," Hermione informed her friend archly.

"You haven't even started your summer homework, Ronald," Percy put in curtly. "Our time is better spent somewhere else."

"Here he goes again!" Fred and George intoned in unison.

"Honestly Perc, there is no need to practice being prefect right now," George added.

"You made prefect?" Remus asked. "Congratulations. I was Prefect my fifth year as well."

"You were?" Harry brightened and turned to Sirius. "Were you Prefect too, Sirius?"

Sirius Black stared down at his godson, goggle-eyed. "Er . . ."

Taking pity on his friend, Moony gave Harry a gentle push towards the entrance of Quality Quidditch Supplies and let the eager Ron do the rest.

"I'll go get parchment and no doubt find you both still ogling the brooms when I get back," Hermione yelled after them. With that she turned smartly on her heel and headed towards the parchment shop.

"I have other things to take care of," Percy informed the twins. "Take care of Ginny, I'll be back later."

"Off to buy Prefect supplies?" Fred called after him. "Be sure to get a big enough hat to cover your humongous head!"

"Now that sounds familiar," Remus said to himself, grey eyes narrowing as he and Sirius entered the store.

"I never said you had a big head," Padfoot denied vehemently.

"No, you only made comments about how I was power mad and taking the "prefect thing" too seriously."

"You were!" Sirius insisted as he made a beeline for the Nimbus display once he found Harry was engaged in checking out the practice snitches. "Besides being Sirius is my job," he added with a smile as he picked up the Nimbus 2001 off its satin cushion, ignoring the amazed faces of children peering in through the window, and headed towards the cashier.

"Sirius what are you doing?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Buying a broom." Gently laying down the piece of Quidditch gold, Black grabbed his money pouch.

"Would you like this wrapped sir?" The man behind the counter asked.

"Yes, please, in gold and red."

"Another one? Harry has TWO brooms already!" the werewolf cried. He snatched the broom out of the cashier's hands.

"But Moony! Be reasonable. This is a Nimbus 2001; Harry needs the best broom to play Quidditch. Look, look it's faster, has a better breaking charm, and-- and-- safety, Moony! This broom is the height of safety on the pitch."

"It is the very best broom on the market sir," the cashier assured Lupin desperately, not wanting to loose the commission of such a sale.

"Ah-HA! So you ARE letting him go back to Hogwarts next year!" Remus crowed shaking the broom at his friend.

Sirius sputtered. "I-I said nothing of the sort. It's dangerous!" He grabbed the broom away from the werewolf. "Harry is not going back to Hogwarts."

"Then put the broom down. Put it down! Bad Padfoot! Drop the broom!"

From over by the snitch display Ron looked up at the ruckus. "Harry?" he asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" was the reply.

"Are you _sure_ you're all right living with Sirius and Remus?"

"Of course," Harry said looking up at his friend. "Why?"

"Oh . . . nothing," Ron said slowly. But as he looked back at the sight of the two grown men playing tug of war with the Nimbus 2001 he wasn't so sure.

* * *

"All right Harry. It's quite simple. Just step into the fireplace, throw down the floo powder and say your destination in a clear, loud voice," Mrs. Weasley instructed patiently, patting Harry on the arm, 

Harry eyed the floo powder on the mantle of the Leaky Cauldron skeptically. He had seen this done-- this fireplace was in constant use all evening during the dinner at the Cauldron --but Harry's more usual mode of transportation was flight or apparating with one of his guardians, not a fireplace.

"It's all right Harry, "Remus said taking a handful of the powder. "I'll go first and be waiting for you at home and Sirius will be right behind you."

"Just remember to speak clearly," Mrs. Weasley repeated, a little anxious that this was Harry's first floo trip for all he had spent six years in the wizarding world.

"Thank you for the birthday party, Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her with great solemnity. "It was wonderful."

Molly's expression softened. "You are most welcome; we all had a marvelous time, didn't we?"

"Absolutely smashing," George said.

"Best cake we've had since Ginny's birthday," Fred added rubbing his stomach in fond remembrance.

"Mmmm, cake," Remus murmured eyes going dreamy.

"Glad you could make it mate," Ron said, punching his friend lightly on the shoulder. "See you on the train to Hogwarts."

Perplexed, Harry watched as Remus was nudged out of his chocolate daydreams by Padfoot and into the fireplace, powder in hand.

"But I'm not going to Hogwarts this year," Harry reminded his friends in puzzlement.

"Think positively, Harry," Hermione insisted. "You are going to Hogwarts this year. You are going to Hogwarts this year," she said staunchly, ignoring with only minor trembling the death glare of the human grim beside Harry.

"Moor House," Remus said clearly and vanished in a torrent of green flames.

Jumping back, wide eyed with fright, Harry watched the flames die leaving no trace of Moony.

"He's all right," Sirius leaned over to whisper to his godson. "He's perfectly safe and waiting for you at home." He took hold of the floo powder pot and held it towards Harry. "Go ahead and grab a good handful."

Slowly, Harry reached out and grasped the harsh grains in his hand. Seeing Moony vanish amid green fire had left him feeling ill. It reminded him of the woman in his dreams who did nothing but scream.

As his godfather helped him into the fireplace the Weasleys added more helpful advice until Fred's "don't fall out too early" was rewarded by his mother smacking him lightly on the arm, and Percy going off on how immature all of his siblings were, and general Weasley chaos reining supreme.

"I'll see on the train," Ron said again, waving at his friend. "Otherwise we'll just have to come get you with the car."

"Deep breath," Sirius coached quietly.

Harry closed his eyes and held his hand out, fist facing down. "Moor House!" he called.

A roaring sound and Harry vanished up the floo.

"Thank you again," Sirius said as he bid the Weasleys and Grangers good bye. "You have no idea how much it meant to Harry to be invited to your home. Molly, fantastic meal. Arthur, good luck with the raids," he added shaking each of their hands in turn before stepping into the fireplace. "Moor House!"

Sirius fell through the fire in the living room and landed on a strategically placed cushioned chair. Looking about as he stood and brushed off the ash with an absent cleaning spell he couldn't see either Harry or Mo--

"Ack!" The Animagus fell back into the chair as a familiar face was suddenly right in front of him.

"Where's Harry?" Lupin asked worriedly. "Did he ask you to go first?" The werewolf risked sticking his head into the fireplace to see and hear if Harry was coming.

"Harry went before me. He's not here?" Sirius stood and quickly shoved his way into Moony's place with his head up the chimney. "Harry? Harry? Can you hear me?" He pulled back out and grabbed Remus by the shoulders. "Harry's not here! He's supposed to be here!"

"Don't panic!" Remus said desperately, his own voice rising with hysteria. _Oh dear gods, we've lost Harry! He could be anywhere!_

"Don't panic? Don't PANIC?!" Sirius echoed with wild laughter. "Look at the clock! _Look at the clock_!" He cried shaking Moony. The hand designated for their Harry was on **Lost** but heading inexorably towards **Mortal Danger**.

"Don't panic," Remus repeated firmly. _One of us has to be calm, _he thought frantically. _Be calm Remy! Now is not the time to start howling. We've got to find Harry. Think!_

"We'll-we'll jut go back. He's probably had an incomplete entry into the network and got spat out one grate down from the Leakey Cauldron. We'll just go back, Sirius, we'll just go back and find Harry and bring him home!" Moony shoved the floo powder at Sirius. "Get going! I'm just going to leave a note for Harry in case he makes it back before us."

"Leaky Cauldron!" Sirius yelled and was gone.

* * *

Green light filled his senses. For one horrible moment he was back on that field, the ruined Quidditch pitch outside the fortified ruins of Hogwarts. 

Reeling back, Harry fell with a thump out of the floo and onto a filthy, creaking floor. Scrambling for his glasses, Harry hurriedly put them on and tried to figure out exactly where he was.

In the darkened room, Harry could make out looming shapes that resolved after several anxious moments into shelves and glass cases filled with objects. Standing up, Harry peered about and realized he must be in some sort of store.

He shivered.

A store filled with the taint of pain, blood, and darkness.

These were Dark Artifacts.

There was a sudden pounding at the door. Nearly causing a display to fall over, Harry steadied the display and himself and stared wide eyed at the front door. Behind him a lamp was lit.

"I'm comin'!" a voice yelled behind him.

Without thought, Harry ducked back into the fireplace and crouched down to hide in the tiny space between the grate and the brick wall.

He watched silently as a man who could only be the storeowner peered through the yellowed glass and then quickly spelled the door to unlock.

"Mr. Malfoy, come in, come in, sir! A pleasure as always to see you," the shopkeeper bowed and scrapped as he locked the door and drew thick drapes across the front half of his shop.

Lucius Malfoy, every bit as imposing, appeared to be idly shopping as he perused the various cases and displays but this attitude bellied the cold fury in his voice as he spoke. "Mr. Borgin, I was under the impression that your establishment was open to the discerning customer at all hours. I do not appreciate being force to knock to gain entrance."

Mr. Borgin paled, as if realizing he had made some life threatening error. "M-Mr. Malfoy, no offense, no offense at all was meant! I expected you earlier but when you did not appear--"

Lucius whirled around and towered over the man. "Are you trying to tell me that I was tardy for our appointment?" he asked in a whisper.

"N-no! N-no! Of course not! It-it was my fault, misjudging the time. A thousand apologies. You had spoken of haste and I have hurried with all speed to make arrangements necessary to . . . dispose of seven items previously discussed."

"Six items," The head of the Malfoy line corrected.

"Six?" Borgin's eyes bulged. "B-but Mr. Malfoy. The arrangements were for seven, the very expensive arrangements were for seven items! Seven very valuable items placed in safe hands until the Minister can be . . . dealt with."

"I have already disposed of the seventh in the most," here Lucius' face was covered with a truly terrible smile "unassuming and perfect of places. Perhaps these beastly little raids of Weasley's are more useful than annoying," he mused.

_The Weasleys?_ Harry's eyes widened and before he could stop himself a tiny gasp escaped his lips.

Malfoy whirled around, wand suddenly in his hand, pointed towards the fireplace.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Borgin asked hesitantly. "Mr. Malfoy, there is nothing there. My store is well secure." The shopkeeper fumbled around at his waistcoat and drew out a chain with a number of jangling charms attached. "See? If someone were foolish enough to be here the sneakascope would . . ." he trailed off as the miniature device began to spin and glow.

The aristocrat did not answer but advanced inexorably towards Harry, wand glowing with an unspoken _lumos_ spell.

Terrified, Harry closed his eyes and pressed himself further against the rough stone of the fireplace. _I'm not here, you can't see me, I'm not here_, he thought desperately.

The light burned through his tight shuteyes and Harry held his breath as Malfoy's arm passed by him lighting the recesses of his hiding place.

_--I'm not here, you can't see me, you can't see me-_

There was a disturbance of dust and soot that showered down on Harry as one gloved hand brushed against the uneven stone of the fireplace just above his bent head.

And the light retreated and Harry dared to breath again.

"Put the charm away, Mr. Borgin. In a shop like this it is hardly useful," Malfoy snapped as he wand was slid into the ebony of his cane.

Borgin nodded, agreeing quickly with his valued customer as he pocketed the chain. "True, Mr. Malfoy. A rather useless charm when compared with your six items. I have lined up several interested families of the purest bloodlines to benefit from being able to see the wonders of your family's collection."

Grey eyes snapped in the dim light. "A temporary and costly gift. I also require the names of those who shall, for a time, own these items."

As the two men began to haggle, Harry closed his eyes and tried desperately to think of a way out of this situation. _I could wait until they leave and then try the floo again_, he though with great reluctance. _Or I could leave by the door in a few hours and try and figure out if I am still in Diagon Alley. Either way once I'm outside, I suppose I could fly home,_ he reassured himself. There was no reason to be afraid. He'd be home soon.

Suddenly something grabbed hold of his collar and yanked sharply. Before Harry could cry out he was back inside the floo network, arms pinned to his side. Harry couldn't even begin to struggle as he shot along the bumpy path. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the flicker of other hearths whizzing by. Nauseated by the twists and turns, Harry closed his eyes and hoped it would be over soon.

With a roar of flames they shot out of a fireplace and bounced onto a strategically placed couch.

Coughing and shaking, Harry looked up from the firm surface he'd buried his head in and realized it was Padfoot who held him and that he had made it home.

A hand pushed back his sooty, grimy hair. "Are you all right, Harry?" Sirius asked anxiously.

Harry coughed and cleared his throat and nodded. "Y-yes, I'm fine."

"Moony, I've got Harry!" Sirius called flopping back against the couch, boneless with relief. "Moony?" he called again when he received no answer.

Harry wriggled out of his godfather's arms, careful of where he put his elbows and knees as he looked about for the werewolf. "Moony?"

"Sirius! Harry!" Came Remus' voice from upstairs. "Hurry! I can't hold him for long!"

Meeting eyes for an instant, both of them jumped off the couch, drew their wands and ran up the stairs.

Following his ears and nose, Sirius burst into Harry's room first and found Moony facing off against a bedraggled house elf, both wielding spells, locked against each other, evenly matched.

"That's Dobby!" Harry said in surprise. "He was the elf that was in Ron's room."

"How the hell did he get in here?" Sirius roared, not bothering to complicate things with further magic and simply strode over and grabbed the creature by the scruff of the neck and hauled him up until they were nose to nose. "How dare you come into our home, to my godson's room uninvited?!"

Harry rushed forward to help a weakened Moony to sit on the bed, his magic a bit drained from facing off against such a magical creature, werewolf or no.

"Dobby had to come! Dobby has to warn Harry Potter!" the pitiful creature wailed.

"Warn or set a trap?" Sirius hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"No, no, Dobby would _never_--"

"Padfoot," Harry said, reaching and grabbing a hold of the Marauder's robe. "He didn't hurt anyone, not really."

Sirius looked down into those familiar green eyes and slowly lowered Dobby to the floor. "All right now. Who sent you?"

"Dobby cannot say."

Sirius rolled his eyes in frustration. "Whose family do you serve?"

"Dobby cannot say."

"Who gave you permission to leave your home and come here?"

"Dobby cannot say." The elf now fell to his knees and started banging his head against the ground.

"Stop!" Harry cried, unable to watch the self-torture. "Stop it!"

"Hey, hey, hey! No beating yourself up," Sirius scolded, pulling the elf to his feet.

"What _can_ you tell us?" Remus put in.

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. There is a plot," he continued, wringing his hands. "A terrible plot to make Bad Things happen. If Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts he will _die_!"

"Sounds rehearsed to me," Sirius said looking at the werewolf. "What do you think?"

"Rehearsed," Lupin agreed, "But Dobby's feeling's are genuine, he does care."

"Dobby cares! Dobby cares about the great Harry Potter. Before Harry Potter destroyed He Who Must Not be Named we house elves were treated like vermin. House elves is treated much better now. But Dobby is still treated like vermin," he whispered, wiping away his tearing eyes, ears dropping despondently. "Harry Potter must believe Dobby. I is not wanting such a great wizard to be hurt."

After this impassioned speech, Harry stepped forward and dug out his handkerchief and handed it to the house elf. "Thank you, Dobby. I'm sorry we attacked you."

"And I sorry I tried to hex you," Moony put in.

There was a long moment of silence. Remus gave the black haired wizard a pointed look.

Running his hands through is long hair, Padfoot looked down guiltily. "I am sorry, Dobby, for shaking and grabbing you, but I was worried about how you got in."

Dobby looked from one wizard to the next and once again burst into tears. "Such-such good wizards!" he managed to cry into the handkerchief. "Dobby will do whatever he can to protect Harry Potter." With that he vanished with a crack of power.

"Well that sounded ominous," Remus muttered tiredly.

"We said we were sorry. Why did he cry?" Harry asked in bewilderment as his godfather guided him to the bathroom to wash up the grime of his floo adventure.

"Never mind. Go take a shower and we'll talk when you get out."

Remus flopped back onto Harry's bed as soon as the door closed. "Gods, what a night. Harry lost, the attack of the persistently helpful house hell, all on top if his birthday. Where the hell did Harry get to in the floo network?"

"He fell out a couple grates down. What I want to know is where the hell did that elf come from in the first place? And how did he get into Harry's room?" Sirius snapped as he began to pace his 6 1/2 step track across the floor.

"House elf magic is very, very powerful. He wasn't really trying that hard to block the hex when I tried to cast _Petrificus_ on him. If they weren't enslaved and brainwashed, Wizards would not be the ones running things in the magical world. We can't ward this place enough to keep him out, especially if he has some sort of permission from his master to find Harry.

"Damn," the Marauder hissed. "Damn, damn, damn. At least I know I made the right choice to pull Harry out of Hogwarts this year."

"Did you?" Moony asked not bothering to open his eyes. "If Dobby was sent, and we presuppose only an old pureblood family keeps a house elf in such wretched conditions, then the message could be a distraction, a misdirection to keep Harry away from where he could do the most good, be the most secure."

Sirius snarled, "Hogwarts secure? The Defense teacher rode about with Voldemort on the back of his head all last year and NO ONE KNEW!"

"Hush," Remus said as the sound of the shower turned off.

"Besides," Padfoot continued in a softer but no less biting tone. "It is not Harry's job or duty or _anything_ to help. He is just a child! He is supposed to have fun, to learn, make friends, play Quidditch."

"Which he cannot do wrapped up in cotton wool here at Moor House," Remus added to the old familiar argument quietly.

Padfoot sighed and sat down on the bed. "I hate it when you're logical, Moony." He flopped down on the bed horizontally, pushing Remus' feet aside to rest his head.

The door to the bathroom opened quietly and Harry, dressed in a long, hooded bathrobe smiled at the sight of his guardians and hurried into his closet to change into his bed clothes.

Once dressed, Harry scrambled up to sit cross-legged at the foot of the bed.

Sirius, reached out and grabbed one of his godson's hands in his, squeezing it once. "What happened when you fell out of the floo network? Why didn't you jump back in? Where were you?"

"I was in a store, a dark store. Everything there was . . . tainted. A man was there, Mr. Borgin. He answered a knock at the door. I hid in the fireplace. It was Mr. Malfoy."

"What was he doing there, Harry?" Remus asked quietly, knowing full well Padfoot was too upset about the danger his godson had been in to do anything but fume.

"He'd made some sort of deal with Mr. Borgin about dark things, dark artifacts. He wanted to hide them with someone else for a while 'cause Mr. Weasley was going to raid his home. They fought because Mr. Malfoy was supposed to bring seven things but only brought six. He said he'd gotten rid of the seventh one somewhere. I think it was somewhere where it could hurt someone," Harry finished with a whisper.

"Borgin and Burkes, Knockturn Alley," Padfoot said with a sigh, sitting up and putting an arm around his godson.

"Should we firecall Mr. Weasley o-or the Headmaster right now?" Harry asked.

"We'll let them know, we'll make sure they keep an eye out," Remus assured him, sitting up as well. "But how did you fall out of the floo in the first place?"

"Oh," Harry said blinking, "W-well . . . I was . . . the fire . . . er--"

"Never mind that now," Sirius put in, running his hand soothingly through Harry's dark, damp hair. The Animagus shot his friend a warning glance, he didn't want to get Harry worked up about anything before falling asleep. The last thing they needed was Harry to suffer from a night terror. "It's been a very busy day," he said as he shifted on the bed to pull down the blanket and sheet on one side, urging Harry to lie down.

Harry opened his mouth to protest that it was too early to go to bed, but all that escaped was a tremendous yawn. With some help from his guardian's Harry got situated under the covers.

"Was a very nice party," Harry murmured sleepily as he got comfortable.

"Yes it was," Remus agreed. "The cake was excellent. Do you think Molly would let us have the recipe?"

"Always thinking with your stomach, you chocolate fiend," Sirius said with a laugh. "Sleep well, Harry. No dreams tonight."

* * *

Dear Harry, 

Have Sirius and Remus decided to let you go to Hogwarts after all? You have been asking them, haven't you? I've been busy all day degnoming the garden. It would be a much better garden if Mum would let me get some chocolate frogs like Moor House. You'll be on the platform at 10:30 on September 2nd, right? I was going to write to the Magical Education Office to make them let you come to school, but Dad said not to. Have you finished your homework? Hermione keeps owling me about it. Poor Errol is looking very worn. Percy got a new owl for being prefect but he won't let anyone use it and he's always sending letters off with it and getting secret letters back. The twins haven't managed to steal one yet, but I bet it's something boring just like Percy. If you have finished do you know anything I could add to my transfiguration essay on mass conversions? I'm two inches short even with writing really big. I'll see you on the Platform or I'll steal the car and come get you.

Your friend,

Ron

* * *

Sirius looked up from the Daily Prophet front page scowling and saw Harry had gotten a letter. Wiping his anger from his face he asked. "Who's the letter from?" 

"Ron. He needs help with his transfiguration essay. I haven't done it yet," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"Well, no need really," Sirius replied as he stared malevolently at the front page of the _Prophet._ "His dad hasn't said anything about selling his car has he?" he asked with interest.

Harry shook his head slowly. "No, but Ron said he'd like to fly it over sometime. I'm going to go out flying," Harry said getting up with his breakfast dishes.

"I'll be out to join you in a moment," his godfather said, surreptitiously covering the front page of the paper with his arm as Harry passed.

Remus waited until Harry had disappeared into the kitchen before shoving Sirius" arm aside. "What is it? Let me see." The werewolf grabbed the Daily Prophet and stared at the front page photo.

Larger than life, Picture Sirius appeared to have much less control over his temper than real life Sirius. Picture Sirius had already drawn his wand on Lockhart fending the foppish man off while he gleefully toppled Lockhart's careful pile of book and stomped on them. Lockhart was practically in tears.

Picture Harry was out of the frame as most Picture Harrys were, but since Sirius was in the photo, Harry was peeking out to watching his godfather in amusement.

"It's an . . . interesting picture. You look good," Remus offered, swallowing his laughter.

"It's an awful picture. Look at that peacock, he looks pretty even when he's in tears!" Sirius raged. "I bet he'll win Witch Weekly's award for that too."

"The rag papers are going to have a field day with this photo, you know. You're not helping your reputation any."

"Doesn't matter," the Marauder said airily "I'm going to sue the photographer and the Daily Prophet until they bleed," he smiled vindictively as he folding the paper careful as it was evidence for his future lawsuit.

* * *

Dear Harry, 

This is absolutely intolerable. How can your guardians keep you from school? Your education is the most important thing. How are you going to get any sort of job without graduating? How will you develop magically without the proper nurturing and educational support system? Especially when we have _Gilderoy Lockhart _teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, your favorite subject! Write me back immediately telling me if you godfather has allowed you to go to Hogwarts. Meanwhile, rest assured I shall write to Professor McGonagall and inform her of this horrid situation.

Love from,

Hermione

* * *

"Harry?" 

Green eyes darted up at the careful call of Moony. Giving Hedwig an absent pat, Harry hurried down the stairs from the tower Owlry. "Yes Moony?" The werewolf looked unusually pale and the full moon wasn't for days. "Is something the matter?"

Remus seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Harry, have you been writing to your friends recently?"

"Yes, of course. Hermione wrote me last weekend. I just owled my reply," Harry said with a slightly puzzled expression.

"Anything in particular she wanted to write about, Harry?" Remus asked tentatively.

Harry thought back to the letter. "No, not really. Just school stuff, why?"

* * *

"Sirius Alexander Black! What is this I hear? Why is Miss Granger of all people informing me that Harry will not be attending Hogwarts this year?!" Professor McGonagall, still floo stained shoved a letter into the Marauder's face. "Forbidding, _forbidding_ Harry to attend Hogwarts, Sirius?!!" 

Sirius scowled at the letter and then scowled up the stairs where to Remus had made his timely escape once he'd seen who was coming down the floo. "I think it is a rational and reasonable decision given the events of last year, and as Harry's lawful guardian it is my right to chose NOT to send him to Hogwarts," he announced firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Rational? Reasonable to deny _Harry James Potter_ a Hogwarts education?"

"He's not safe there!" Sirius yelled back.

McGonagall drew back in shock as if her old student had just slapped her across the face. "How _dare _you? I protect all my Gryffindors and as Deputy Headmistress my concern extends to each and every student and is second only to Albus."

"Well you didn't to a good enough job of it. It was left up to Harry, _my Harry,_ to fight and defeat Voldemort."

"That-that was unavoidable," Minerva whispered tightly. "Don't you know how it pains me to know that the dear boy, that all three of my Gryffindors were in danger and I didn't listen hard or long enough to help? Don't you think I've had this pressing on me all summer, that I all the staff has worked night and day to make sure such dark forces never enter the castle again?"

The Marauder couldn't help but feel slightly shamed hearing his old strict teacher express herself so openly. But this was Harry's safety they were talking about, and when Harry was at risk, Sirius would not be swayed. "And yet you hire someone like _Gilderoy Lockhart _as Hogwarts' _premier defender_," Sirius pointed out sprawling into the seat by the fire. "If that is your idea of safety, you, madam, have just solidified my decision."

"I will have you know, _Mr_. Black, that Professor Lockhart is a renowned wizard, author, and defense expert."

"He is also a fashion plate, a fop, and a complete self-absorbed arse. If danger comes knocking he'd be too worried about staining his robes to save anyone!" Sirius retorted hotly. "You are not helping your feeble case by pointing out that-that peacock as a shining example of Hogwarts staff. As far as I'm concerned he and Snape can just get stuffed."

"That is typical childish behavior from you, Sirius Black, insulting members of the staff. You will watch your tongue, or you'll find yourself with a mouth full of soap," the Transfiguration Professor warned.

"I'd like to see you try, you old ball of fur!" Sirius yelled indignantly, sitting up in his chair.

"Do not talk back to me, young man. I'll have none of your lip," she warned, shaking her finger at him.

* * *

"Moony?" Harry whispered from where he and the werewolf watched from the doorway the confrontation between the Professor and his godfather. 

"Yes Harry?" Remus answered just as quietly.

"They're talking about me, aren't they?"

"Yes, Harry."

"Are they just playing? Or-or are they upset about me?" Harry bit his lip worriedly

Remus rubbed Harry's shoulder reassuringly. "No one's upset about you, Harry. You've done nothing wrong. But, well you know how Padfoot's a dog and Professor McGonagall is a cat . . ." he trailed of meaningfully.

Realization lit Harry's face. "Are they going to start fighting now?" he asked urgently.

"Only if the Professor scratches Padfoot's nose," Moony said with all seriousness.

* * *

"Why you . . . I'm not a child anymore!" Sirius yelled jumping up. 

"Then stop acting like one!"

"_Me_? What about you?

Minerva drew herself up to her full height and stepped nose to nose with the imposing former Prisoner of Azkaban. "I happen to be a professor, I'll have none of your cheek or I'll just--"

"Don't scratch him, Professor!"

Both . . . _adults_, stopped mid-yell and turned to regard the twelve year old boy.

Straightening her robes and brushing off the remaining floo powder with Hermione's letter before realizing what it was a quickly putting it away, Professor McGonagall attempted to regain the air of a discipline and dignity. "Harry, how nice to see you. Your godfather and I were just . . . _talking_."

"Don't scratch him," Harry repeated sternly. "He's a Grim, you know. He eats rabbits in one bite and he'll eat you too if you scratch him."

Desperately trying not to laugh, Remus came forward to stand behind Harry, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Perhaps we could take this into the kitchen and get something to drink?" Lupin suggested.

"We have cream," Harry offered to their guest helpfully.

Ignoring her two former students barely smothering their laughter, she held out her hand to Harry. "I'd be delighted, Mr. Potter. It's the nicest offer I've had all day."

* * *

**To Be Continued (tcb)**

I hope the scene in Knockturn alley was at least a bit frightening. It is hard to write suspense when so much of canon remains in second year. I can't wait to write year four, then I'm really planning on diverging a lot. But until then, I do hope that some of Harry's floo trip was suspenseful. Equally, I hope the humor came across: the Quidditch shop, the photograph, and Minerva's visit. Let me know what you think. >grin

**athenakitty-** Harry may have Sirius wrapped around his little finger but Harry loves his godfather so much, thinks he owes Sirius everything for rescuing him from the Dursleys he never takes advantage of it, not even to demand to go to Hogwarts. Sirius has serious overprotection problems, but then if Harry Potter was your godchild, wouldn't you protect him from Voldemort and assorted evils too? Lockhart managed to dodge the flying books but that doesn't mean Sirius will "miss" with his next plan to hurt and humiliate one Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry is for the most part completely oblivious to girls' attention, even Ginny. Remember in Harry's sixth year story written by neutral Harry remains completely oblivious even when some Hufflepuff girls pounce on him, so no embarrassment really. Hermione and Ron understand more than before. It's up to neutral to determine how much when she finishes "Hunting for Marbles" hopefully soon. As for Dobby being free . . . wait and see.

**skipastarseeker**- thanks for the bounces! You're practically a Tigger aren't you? grin

**gallandro-83**- No Remus' condition is the subject of rumor, not knowledge at large. Some people do know of course, some of the Hogwarts' staff members, etc. I am in contact with netural who has just informed me that she has recently finished finals. I can do no more than beg like any fan for more story chapters especially when neutral is both creating new chapters and editing and revising old stories. Sorry, no leverage there. It is true that so many of the bits and pieces come "second hand" as you say through my works. I'm sorry I can't help that; I try to give as much background and reference and explanation as I can when I do mention it and be assured every mention of not yet written neutral story plot has been approved by her. As for Harry's independence over time, when away from his guardians, Harry is quite independent as I hopefully showed in "Let Winterlight come" However Harry suffers under the belief that he owes his guardians everything as they rescued him from the Dursleys. I agree Harry needs to rebel somewhat. It is a bit hard to write that though when neutral's sixth year funny fic has Harry still oblivious, still innocent, and trusting his guardians' every word. (Not that the story isn't hilarious). Never fear, I will try to get some rebelling in (especially third year with the whole Hogsmeade stuff). I totally agree that Harry does indeed have a backbone of sold steel and should show it more often. Thanks for the encouragement on my exams and I will keep up with writing, never fear: reviews are too addictive to ignore.

**fritz**- No punching except in the Weasley/Malfoy quarter just yet, but be patient. Sirius has more devious plans than just physical violence; he is a Marauder after all. Thanks for the review.

**rayvern**- I am sooo glad I managed to capture Snape in character. I swear he is one of the hardest characters to write believably. As for Lockhart, he's easy: pompous, selfish, and vain. :)

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo**- Sirius has issues, that has never been in question but remember Remus is right that no one loves Harry more. Sirius really doesn't need to know about the Basilisk if Harry manages to go. By the way, looove your name!

**Sheandre**- It is true that Hermione and Molly have the whole "doubt Sirius and Remus as competent guardians thing" going. There is a reason for that. First, Sirius prior to Azkaban and being labled a death eater was quite the wild party boy, being labeled a death eater hasn't helped either. Second, for practical reasons, foreshadowing for later stories, there needs to be some concern about his "parenting" of Harry. I shall not say more. But Remus did tell Molly off quite soundly and Sirius would have but he didn't want to ruin Harry's birthday. I'm not sure that necessarily makes them weak: Sirius certainly is sticking to his guns over not letting Harry go against significant disapproval from all quarters (more of that in the next chapter). As for summoning the camera, good idea but then Sirius wouldn't have a reason to sue the _Daily Prophet_. Evil laugh

**Abbika-Rose-Writers**- Remus is sort of making a deal with the devil so to speak. But don't count our favorite werewolf out just yet, he was a Marauder and is quite able to take care of himself and Snape.

**paradox01**- Yes, Lockhart's arrogance and self importance knows no bounds. Glad you liked the wolfsbane plot point. Enjoy this chapter and expect more Lockhart and wolfsbane later.

**emeraldlight**- I don't know how many chapters this will be but we are on chapter four and we haven't even reached September, so this will be long.

Review? 


	5. CHAPTER V: Mister Talons and the Platfor...

Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait.

* * *

CHAPTER V: Harry Potter and the Platform of Doom

* * *

While Professor McGonagall had not achieved her objectives of either scratching Padfoot or getting Sirius to relent about Hogwarts, her visit did have one extraordinary effect on Harry: he was doing his long avoided transfiguration homework in a guilty frenzy.

Never mind that Harry was still not allowed to go to Hogwarts, this was Professor McGonagall after all.

"Ah, this brings back memories."

Harry looked up from his essay to see his godfather leaning, arms crossed, against the doorway to his room. "Here it is a beautiful morning and the Scourge of Gryffindor, Sourface McGonagall, has scared even a non-Hogwarts student indoors and towards homework. Terrible," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Truly terrible."

"You said yourself my animal transfiguration needs work," Harry said turning back to his essay with a sigh.

"Yes, but that is practical. This, this theory stuff," Sirius said waving his hand dismissively as he came to peer over Harry's shoulder "You're years past this stuff."

"But the book said that understanding the steps in between a transformation are key."

"Maybe for other wizards," Sirius clarified as he flipped through Harry's transfiguration book, smiling slightly at his and the Marauders' handwritten notes that littered the margins. "But you understand it better the less you think about it, not more. Instinct, Harry, instinct." He looked at the pile of books arranged neatly along Harry's desk and scowled seeing the huge block of space taken up by Gilderoy Lockhart's books. Ginny in the end had refused to take them and Harry had been stuck with the lot.

Eyes narrowing, Sirius reached out and grabbed the lot of them and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed before the fireplace. With a wave of his wand a fire sprang to life.

"Now, let's investigate," Padfoot said slyly, motioning for Harry to join him on the bed. "Let's see if there is anything worth keeping these odes to the greater glory of Gilderoy Lockhart about the place," he said as Harry scrambled up to sit beside his godfather.

Harry stared at the fire, a bit apprehensively. It was way too warm to be necessary.

"_Travels with Trolls_. Let's see what is inside this wonderful page turner!" Sirius said with a wide, scary smile plastered on his face as he picked up the first book in the pile between Harry and himself. The Marauder paged through the book for a moment before stopping and clearing his throat dramatically as he began to read.

"Dear Travel Diary. I got up today. I look marvelous!" Here, much to Harry's amusement, Sirius tossed his head. "Trolls don't even have the most bare of facilities let alone a decent bathroom so I promptly abandoned my traveling companions in a nearby marsh while I found a decent hotel."

With a bang, Sirius snapped the book closed and tossed it into the fire. Any laughter was suddenly extinguished: Harry stared agog at the burning image of Lockhart trying to beat back the flames with his hat. _Did-did Sirius just burn a book? Sirius, who's room doubled as Moor House's fourth library, actually BURN a BOOK?_

With nary a thought to the charring volume, Sirius picked up the next book flipping open to a page at random.

"While voyaging with vampires, I developed a horrible case of nausea. Of course it could in no way be caused by sudden blood loss. I know about these things. Not to worry though. In my amazing wardrobe I have a outfit for every shade and color scheme, even sick."

Into the fire it went and another book was grabbed.

"While I was enjoying my year with yetis I accidentally tripped over my huge head. Not only did I spoil my lovely lilac snow robes, I triggered an avalanche, which buried me and my huge head alive. There I suffered and froze in agony until I died. The end. And, oh look," Sirius said with false joy. "_Wandering with Werewolves_."

Making a great show of opening the book, Sirius pretended to read intently. "In my colossal ignorance and self-importance I didn't wander with any werewolves because I'm too stupid to realize that werewolves are in no way migratory. Rubbish." The book was kindling. "Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. It's all complete and total rubbish." With that all the rest of Lockhart's library, ending with _Magical Me _was committed to the fire.

Biting his lip, Harry inched closer to his godfather. "Did Moony's editor firecall back?" he asked tentively.

The Animagus sighed heavily. "We must do _something_, Harry Hawk," he confided. "He's been working on that book since--since _forever_. It just_ has _to be published. It means the world to him."

Harry shook his head sadly. "Nothing will happen until Lockhart is off the best seller list."

A fierce light suddenly caught aglow in Black's ice blue eyes. "Get Lockhart off the best seller list," he repeated slowly. "Get Lockhart off the best seller list," he said again, turning to Harry. "That's it! Brilliant, Harry!" He squeezed Harry once and then jumped up.

"We must do something to discredit Lockhart. Perhaps spread some unpleasant rumors?" Sirius wondered aloud as he began to pace. "Infer he's left a string of unsupported children behind from his housewitches fans? Whisper that his lifestyle is nothing but a sham, that he lives on borrowed money? Perhaps catch him in tryst with the Minister's wife? No, no that would be slander. What we need," the Marauder tapped his finger against his lips, "what we need is even more devastating, something he can't escape from: The Truth. Hmmm."

"What truth?" Harry asked, watching his godfather vacillate around the room.

"The truth about Gilderoy Lockhart," Sirius said. "You've seen him. What's your opinion on the man? Does he seem a bit too . . unnatural? A bit to contrived? Perhaps," Sirius said slowly, "perhaps we should not deviate from the tried and trued methods set down by the illustrious Padfoot, Prongs, and Moony. Perhaps," he stared at Harry's unblinking gaze, "we can entrust the new generation of Marauder's with a most sacred task."

The dark haired boy sat up straighter. "What can I do, Mister Padfoot?" Harry asked eagerly.

Sirius clasped his hands behind his back and raised his chin. "Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate Hogwarts and find some dirt on _Gil_deroy Lockhart. He's got to have some. Anyone who dresses like that and dares to write drivel like this," he said motioning towards the fire with disgust "must be hiding something. Find out his weaknesses, his secrets, his embarrassments and humiliations, and then report back to me for further pranking and blackmail instructions. Can. You. Do. It?"

Harry stood at attention on top of his bed and saluted. "Mister Talons is ready and willing, Mister Padfoot."

"Now you understand that this must be kept _completely_ and _absolutely_ secret from Mister Moony?" Sirius said.

"We aren't going to tell him?" Harry queried in surprise. "But Moony would--"

"Now, Harry," Sirius said with exasperation, "You know Moony, he's so-so . . . _modest_. He doesn't press things even when he really should. He doesn't speak up for things that he honestly deserves. I know these things," the Marauder said earnestly. "If it's worth fighting for, _we_ must do it _for him_! And as for keeping secrets, well it's not really a secret is it?"

The boy's brow furrowed in consternation. "It's not? But I thought you just said that--"

"Forget about what I said," Sirius said authoritatively. "This is not so much a secret as a--as a . . . birthday or Christmas surprise. That's what it is, Moony's Christmas surprise." He smiled, warming to the idea. "You get the deep dark truth out of Lockhart, his popularity plummets, and Moony's book sells a million copies. It's the perfect plan. Just think of how happy this will make him."

"It would be even better than the chocolate I got him last year," Harry agreed slowly, smile growing as he thought of the werewolf at his own book signing. Maybe it was worth keeping a secret, just this once.

"Exactly," Sirius said, beaming. "So, to review. You will go back to Hogwarts to spy on Lockhart, remembering to be ABSOLUTELY CAREFUL." The black haired wizard demanded, leaning forward till he was nose to nose with his godson. "Stay out of trouble and TELL ME if an ANYTHING Voldemort related occurs. Can you do it, Mister Talons?"

Harry nodded vigorously. "Yes, Padfoot. I'd better finish my homework though," Harry said with a sigh. He hopped down off the bed and made his way back to his desk when suddenly he remembered something. "I'll need another set of defense books if I go back to Hogwarts."

Sirius snorted. "No you don't. There is nothing of value in those," he said, motioning to the dying fire. "Besides, I refuse to spend a single tin knut on that bunch of ego stroking tripe. I very much doubt you'll learn anything from that fool," Sirius muttered as he extinguished the embers of Lockhart's literary works. "Just take Moony's draft of his book and use that. Think of all the free advertising it will be for when it is published. Let me know if you need any help with the essay."

"I will," Harry said and Sirius left the room. Sitting at his desk, Harry pushed aside his transfiguration essay and began writing on a fresh sheet of parchment.

Dear Ron . . .

* * *

Remus couldn't write.

He dropped his quill in disgust. He couldn't write. His nearly finished book sat before him but he could not find the energy to edit his work a 19th time.

He wasn't sure why he couldn't write. Maybe it was his editor's carefully worded firecall of refusal and delay. Maybe it was the impending full moon. Maybe it was Sirius' stubborn refusal to allow Harry to go to Hogwarts. Maybe it was Harry's sweet but worrisome tendency to want to hide away the rest of his life at Moor House. Or perhaps it was his impending firecall to Snape and what Sirius would say or do if he ever found out.

Probably it's just that bastard Lockhart's fame, Lupin thought ruefully as he rubbed at the stiff pain in his shoulders.

He stared down at his draft book for a long moment. If there was one thing being a wolf once a month taught him was that sometimes you had to give up on things that were hopeless. Slowly he pulled out his bottom desk drawer. Carefully gathering up his manuscript and notes he placed them carefully away and slid the drawer shut.

Enough was enough. Time to focus on other matters. The werewolf could hear Harry was already up; Sirius was no doubt still slumbering like the dead upstairs. Grabbing his dirty dishes, Remus went to talk to his honorary godson. If he played it right, he would have what he needed to get an upper hand on Snape and keep Sirius and Harry in the dark about the testing.

"Good morning," Harry said from where he knelt on the countertop, taking down china for his breakfast.

"Morning, Harry," Remus greeted. "Full moon tonight," he commented as calmly as he could.

Harry turned worried green eyes on his guardian. "Is something wrong? Are you worried? Padfoot and I will be there. Well," Harry amended "I'm not much help as a bird, but if you want I'll come down into the basement--"

"No-no," Remus said, stopping the anxious flow of words. "I've just been doing some research on some new potions for werewolves."

"New potions?" the boy asked eagerly, hopping down off the counter. "I didn't hear about any new potion."

_Of course, Harry who hates potions would keep up to date in werewolf research on my behalf_, Lupin thought in exasperation. _This is not going to be so easy after all_. "Yes, well . . . it is still in testing but I want to help, to do my part to develop it. For that I need _your_ help."

"_My_ help?" Harry echoed, before smiling broadly. "Of course I'll help, Moony. What do you need me to do?"

Remus sat down and pulled out a chair at the table for Harry to sit beside him. "Tonight instead of being the basement, I want to be outside under the moon. I want you to take some of my fur for me."

"You want me to cut your fur off?" Harry asked incredulously. "The potion people want your fur? Are you sure this is for research and not for something else?" he said, eyes narrowing suspiciously, wondering if someone was trying to hurt or take advantage of his guardian.

"Professor Snape is in charge of the research," Lupin finally admitted, deciding he needed a co-conspirator in this and Harry was the best he had on hand. "The fur is something I can use to make sure things go . . . more smoothly," he explained

Remus never knew Harry's eyes could get so big.

"This is a secret from Padfoot, isn't it?" Harry said wearily.

"Not so much a secret," Remus said hurriedly. "But a surprise. If this works, I'll still be me when I transform, like-like an Animagus transformation. I'll still be Remus."

"But you _are_ Remus always, fur or no fur," Harry protested.

The werewolf couldn't help but hug the boy to him. "And you believing that means the world to me, but this is very, very important to me, to try."

Harry pulled back and stared into those grey eyes. "I'll help," Harry said. "But are you _sure_ you don't want to let Padfoot know?"

"Not until afterwards, until it is successful. It can be a surprise," Lupin added happily, watching Harry carefully.

"Like Christmas?" Harry asked in exasperation, knowing exactly where this was going.

"Exactly like Christmas!" Remus exclaimed, very happy Harry understood. "So tonight?"

"Tonight," Harry nodded. The black haired boy watched his guardian deposit his dirty dishes and leave the kitchen before he sank down in his seat with a sigh. There was one thing he knew for certain: Christmas was going to be veeery interesting this year.

* * *

September 2nd.

The train to Hogwarts left today and Remus woke to Sirius floating Harry's trunk past his room, downstairs.

Lupin sat up stiffly.

"Go on, lie back down," Sirius scolded as he caught sight of his friend sitting up. "You're still exhausted from the full moon. You slept straight through yesterday into today."

"That's Harry's trunk," Remus managed to croak.

The Animagus rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. He's going to Hogwarts today."

"He is?" Remus futily places his hand against this forehead. Was he feverish, dreaming? Was he hallucinating?

"You're letting Harry go?" Remus managed to ask incredulously.

"Of course I am. It's Hogwarts. Harry loves Hogwarts," Sirius said cheerfully. "I'll bring you up breakfast and maybe you'll feel up to coming with us to the station. Don't move. You've had a rough moon, I swear you must have torn your fur out or something. You're hair's a right mess."

"I'm dreaming," Remus murmured as he laid back down. "Sirius is being reasonable, Harry's going to Hogwarts."

There was a light tapping on the door. Lupin raised his head wearily. Harry smiled at him from the doorway, tray in hand, teapot and cups floating behind.

"Hungry?"

"I had the strangest dream," Remus said aloud. "I dreamt Sirius was letting you go to Hogwarts."

The pillows behind the werewolf's head rearranged themselves so that he could sit up with ease. Reaching out, Lupin helped Harry with arranging the tray over his lap. "I _am_ going to Hogwarts; you're not dreaming," Harry reassured him. "I made your favorites," he announced pointing to the plate. "I even brought the Nutella for your toast."

Remus couldn't help but reach out and steal a taste of the chocolate hazelnut spread. _Mmmm, chocolate_. Maybe this wasn't a dream. Chocolate always tasted better in real life.

"You don't have to come to the station, Moony," Harry said as he watched his guardian eat. "Padfoot and me can take care of everything."

Remus snorted into his tea. "Oh, no. I'm coming. I'm making sure this is really happening and Sirius just hasn't been subjected to _Imperius_." With a careful hand, Remus touched the top of his head. "How did the, er . . . the fur?"

"Er . . ." Harry turned an interesting shade of pink. "I did my best, but you didn't like it much. And I had to wait until Padfoot was busy chasing something and then I had to hurry so . . ."

"How bad is it?" Remus asked with a long-suffering sigh.

"You've got a bald patch in the back," Harry admitted in a whisper, eyes firmly focused on his clasped hands.

"Oh is that all?" Lupin asked, clasping Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry about it so. I suppose I'll just have to dig out my hooded cloak or my wizard hat, but it is worth it," Remus assured him. "Where did you put the fur by the way?"

"I wrapped it in some brown paper and put it in the bottom drawer of your desk," Harry told him. _And I noticed you'd shut away your book as if you'd buried it so I took your draft to use at school_, Harry added to himself silently and sadly thinking about how awful it was that it may never be published.

"Good," Remus said, relaxing back against the pillows. "Good, thank you." Catching a glance at the clock, the werewolf shooed Harry off the bed and set aside the tray. "Now go and get ready and leave me to dress. We've got to hurry or we'll miss the train."

* * *

"Why did you insist we do this the muggle way?" Remus groaned as he hurried to keep up, dodging passengers exiting and entering trains at Kings Cross. "I would have even agreed to that motorbike of yours or apparating like last year, but to run through the--"

"Harry wanted to see what it was like to go through the barrier from the Muggle side," Sirius cut him off in a curt whisper as he guided Harry and Hedwig before him, the trolley being dragged behind. "You should have stayed in bed and rested, Moony. Honestly, I can get Harry on the train myself."

"I didn't trust you to do it," Remus muttered back, excusing himself to a lady who nearly toppled over when he'd accidentally bumped into her.

"Didn't trust me? _Didn't trust me_?" Sirius demanded. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Is that it?" Harry called back over his shoulder at his guardians. "Is that where we have to go?" he indicated with his free hand at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10, the other holding onto Hedwig's travel cage.

"Exactly!" Sirius said beaming. "We'll all go together."

"Padfoot," Remus said urgently, "Too many of us going in at once and the Muggles will notice."

Sirius looked down at Harry, who was absently reaching in to pet Hedwig as he stared cautiously at the muggles wandering about the station. "Remember what happened with the floo?" Sirius hissed back. "Moony, you can go first with the trolley, get away from all of this, and Harry and I will follow together. All right, Harry?"

"Okay," Harry said in response as he watched Moony once again go first and vanish before his eyes.

"Just take a bit of a running start," Sirius advised, gripping Harry's shoulder tight, refusing to let go for an instant. "Ready?"

The green eyed boy nodded and together he and his godfather dashed towards the stone wall.

With a crash, Harry rebounded from the wall and fell back to the cement ground. Hedwig squawked fluttering her wings anxiously as her cage toppled as well.

"Here! What do you think you're doing?"

Blinking, trying to catch his breath Harry propped himself up gingerly on his elbows and stared up at the towering conductor. He looked frantically about for Sirius.

He wasn't there.

"Well?!" demanded the irate muggle.

"I-I--"

"Running into walls! This is a train station not a playground!"

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't see where I was going." Scrambling to his feet, Harry grabbed Hedwigs cage and backed away, ducking behind the divide between platforms nine and ten until the adult moved on. As soon as it was safe, Harry darted back around and pressed his hands against the stone divide. Moony go through here, had felt it. And Padfoot, Padfoot was holding onto him and was now gone, vanished through the wall. But now strangely it seemed . . . shut, closed off, blocked.

"Padfoot? Moony?" he called softly.

There was nothing.

He couldn't get though.

It was also entirely possible than no one could get back.

Holding Hedwig's cage in his arms he peered around worriedly. He had no money, Moony had taken his trunk on the trolley, and the apparation platform was so clogged with one way traffic and on such a tight schedule to prevent splinching that there was no way that his guardians could apparate back from the 9 3/4 platform right in front of Muggles.

The chimes of the nearby clock sounded eleven.

He'd missed the train.

What was he to do? It might take hours until Sirius and Moony could get to him and by then he'd have missed the Welcoming Feast. And Padfoot would be so worried perhaps he's just take Harry straight home and Moony's book would never be published!

Harry began to walk back along the Kings Cross platform looking through the sea of adults trying to think of what to do now. Hedwig hooted softly in his arms picking up on her boy's distress, breaking his despondent thoughts.

Hurrying over to an abandoned bench, Harry set down the cage on the seat and crouched down in front of it, meeting his snowy owls' eyes. "Hedwig," he said softly. "Do you-do you think you could show me the way to Hogwarts?"

His familiar chirped her acknowledgment.

"We'd have to leave the cage behind," he warned her, unlatching the door.

She puffed up demonstrating her unconcern for the dreaded cage. If she had her way it would be the Owlry, a nice tree, or her boy's room for her, not some metal monstrosity that kept her from stretching her wings.

Glancing around anxiously, ensuring that no grown up was paying too much attention to one small boy and his slightly unique pet, he let Hedwig perch on his arm.

"Hogwarts, all right?"

Hooting her agreement she took flight, wheeling in ever-larger circles. Before she had risen too high she was joined by a beautiful bird of prey with brown and black markings. Flying wing tip to wingtip they rose higher and higher into the air heading north leaving behind the empty cage, door unlatched.

* * *

"Where's Harry?" Remus demanded from where he leaned tiredly against the trolley. "I thought you were coming together?"

"I-I had him, I had my hand on him the whole time!" Sirius cried. "Wait a minute! I'll just go back and get him." Trying to run back through to the other side of the station, however, left him scraped bloody for his troubles.

Remus tapped his wand on the gateway tentatively before stepping back in. "It-it's blocked," he whispered. "Oh gods, not again. That damned house elf."

"I should have strangled him when I had the chance." Sirius drew his wand, a fierce glow in his eyes that spoke of impending property damage. "What if we--"

Remus elbowed him firmly in the ribs. "The Weasleys!"

"What?" Sirius whirled around and caught sight of the whole red headed bunch, Ron hurrying towards them.

"Hi Sirius, Remus! Where's Harry?" Ron asked looking about the crowded platform for his best friend.

"He's coming," Sirius assured him desperately, staring expectantly at the gateway. _Oh gods, please come through, Harry. _There was a long moment of just staring as Harry did not appear. Ron looked up, scowling.

"Is this some sort of joke? Pretend Harry's coming to Hogwarts when you've got him back at Moor House?"

"Er. . ." Just when the two Marauders thought it could not get any worse, the Grangers caught sight of the group.

"Hallo Ron," Hermione greeted cheerfully as she ran over to meet him. "Where's Harry?"

"He's not coming," Ron said tersely.

"What?! Bu-but I got a letter from Harry! He said he was coming this year! Why isn't he coming!?"

"It's blocked," Moony stated bluntly.

"What's blocked?" Ron demanded. "Where's Harry?"

Hermione was a bit quicker in figuring it out. "Harry can't get through the barrier?" Hermione said, aghast. "You left him behind?"

"I was holding onto him tightly when we ran through. Now no one can get back!" Sirius explained hotly.

"Blocked?" Ron echoed in disbelief. "The barrier's blocked and Harry's on the other side?"

"It's either blocked and he's back in the muggle station or . . ." Remus trailed off. "He's trapped inside."

"_What_? He can't be trapped!" Hermione said, pushing himself forward. "The gate to Platform 9 3/4 has never been closed since the height of the Grindewald war!"

"Is-is he dead?" Ron squeaked.

"No!" The remaining Marauders yelled before turning their wands and attention to the gateway. "We'd know," Sirius muttered.

"What is going on?" Mrs. Weasley came over, Ginny trailing behind. "Why aren't you on the train? Where's Harry?" she demanded.

"He's on the other side of the gateway," Ron said mournfully. "or-or trapped between."

"_What_?!"

The clock above them chimed warningly. It was just seconds till eleven.

"All aboard!" the conductor's voice rang out as the Hogwarts Express began to hiss with steam and smoke.

"Apparate back! Who cares about the muggles seeing you! You can obliviate them later. Go on, go on!" Molly shooed them towards the chaos apparation platform. "Ginny, Ron, Hermione, go get on the train."

Ron opened his mouth to protest but one look from his mother had him going reluctantly.

"Remus?" Sirius said.

"Right." The werewolf nodded, hurrying through the crowds to the apparation platform.

"I'll get Arthur," Molly announced wringing her hands. "He might know something or someone who might . . ." she trailed off and hurried off to find her husband.

Remus came running back, huffing and puffing. "No one can apparate in or out. The whole things blocked. It's total bedlam!"

"Harry? Sirius whispered, pressing against the blank wall. "Harry, please?"

"What shall we do?" Moony asked quietly. "We can't get back unless we get off this Platform."

Sirius turned and stared at the bright red engine.

* * *

They flew for hours, gliding at an altitude that barely needed the flapping of wings. While Harry's feathers were not as think as a full grown falcon, nor was his wingspan that impressive, his had the ability and stamina to keep up with the very experienced post owl that was Hedwig.

Every once and while through the patchy clouds Harry could spy below the train tracks of the Hogwarts Express heading inexorably north.

The sun began to set and Harry hoped that Sirius and Remus were all right. He hoped they weren't too worried; they knew he could take care of himself.

* * *

The Hogwarts Express cabin was not big enough for Sirius to pace so he jammed the door open and utilized the corridor along the length of the train car, warding off with a glare the traffic of dismayed children trying to reach the bathroom at the other end and even the trolly lady.

"He could be dead, he could be hurt, or-or kidnapped, maimed, tortured, in trouble!" Sirius raged.

Remus, sat across from a pale faced Ron and Hermione and wished he had stayed with the trapped parents back at the Platform, helping the Ministry sort things out again, removing the magical blocks and wards that had sprung up out of nowhere.

At least he'd be doing something!

"Do you really think Harry could be dead?" Ron whispered.

"The entrance to Platform 9 3/4 hasn't been blocked since the 1941 at the height of the Grindewald's attacks and the bombing of London. It is the most stable gateway between the wizard and Muggle world," Hermione informed him in a tight voice. "Harry's probably all right. Probably."

Sirius stormed back through the cabin and stopped, staring out of the window at the countryside whizzing by. Giving out a tremendous sigh of frustration he dug through his pockets and took out a handful of gold and bronze coins. "Both of you shouldn't worry," he told the children. "Go find the trolley lady and get some sweets. She is taking her bloody time getting here and sugar will help us think."

Hermione opened her mouth, no doubt to warn about the evils sugar had on teeth, but Ron was quicker. He grabbed the coins and the bushy haired girl and escaped from the two slightly crazed adults.

As soon as they had left, Lupin stood up beside his friend. "Harry's smart," Remus assured with a calm rationality he didn't really feel. "He'll know to stay put in King's Cross until we come for him."

"Surrounded by muggles?" Sirius hissed to his friend as he stared restlessly out of the train. "You know adult muggles still make him anxious. Look how he avoided the Grangers and they're perfectly nice people."

"Well if you didn't keep him cooped up in Moor House for years he might have gotten over that!" Moony yelled back.

"Me?" Sirius said incredulously. "Who agreed after that wretched muggle trial and getting Harry back that it wasn't helping his screaming night terrors to force him into situations where he wasn't comfortable?! Not to mention his uncontrollable outbursts of wild magic?!"

Remus sighed heavily and looked away. "We shouldn't be fighting about this. You're right, I'm right, and we've always done what was best for Harry."

"I'm not a bad godfather," Sirius said, sitting down and leaning against the window. "I'm not," he repeated, trying to convince more than just Remus with his words. "I missed so much of his childhood in Azkaban and I know you think I'm a bit . . . unhinged at times," he added ruefully, "but I hate to think of Jamie or Lily out there somewhere hating me, ashamed of me, or sorry they ever named me godfather."

"They don't regret it. They would see what a wonderful boy Harry is how you love and care for him and never be able to regret it."

The black haired Marauder snorted. "That's no thanks to me. That's wholly Harry's doing and maybe you," Sirius allowed grudgingly.

"Oh, thanks, Padfoot," Moony said, rolling his eyes as he eased back down on the seat. "But you have made some of the truly difficult but very wise parenting choices lately. You let Harry go back to Hogwarts' this year. That shows good sense."

"Er, yes, yes it does," the Animagus agreed hurriedly.

"Don't worry. We'll be at Hogwarts soon. We'll get off the train, away and outside all these wards," he said gesturing to the train, "and then we can find Harry and get him safely tucked away in his bed up in the Gryffindor dorm room before curfew."

Sirius bit his lip, eyes narrowing thoughtful. "In the dorms?" he repeated incredulously. "After some loony house elf locked down Platform 9 3/4 you expect me to leave my six year old godson at Hogwarts where he can get at him _again_?!"

Remus buried his face in his hands and wondered why he ever got out of bed this morning.

* * *

Stumbling slightly as he landed and transformed at the same time, Harry regained his footing and adjusted his glasses. He'd never flown for so long before or at such a distance. He stared up at the bright lights of Hogwarts castle, relieved he'd made it.

Hedwig alighted on his absently raised arm as Harry hurried up the steps to the huge front doors of the castle proper.

He had just managed to push the huge doors open when they were flung wide and Harry bumped straight into a familiar figure.

"_Harry_!"

The black haired boy found himself crushed against his godfather.

"Are you all right? We went back to the station and you _weren't there_! We searched muggle London for you! Dumbledore said you had arrived on Hogwarts ground! How did you get here? What happened?"

"Let him breathe, Sirius," Remus admonished.

Harry was released for bare moment before he found himself crushed to the wiry form of his second guardian.

"You're not hurt, are you, Harry? How on earth did you get here? Why didn't you wait for us? You-you didn't _fly _all the way here, did you?"

Hedwig fluttered madly around, squawking in annoyance at having her perch and her boy disturbed.

"Perhaps if we all calm down we can let Harry breathe and tell us what happened," Dumbledore put in soothingly.

"You heard the Headmaster," Sirius said untangling a rather blue Harry from his friend's grasp. "Don't squash him!" Sirius hissed as he hurriedly shepherded a slightly dizzy Harry into Hogwarts castle, both adult Marauders flanking Harry protectively.

"I flew here," Harry explained. "Hedwig showed me the way. I couldn't get through the Platform. I tried but I crashed into the wall. Couldn't you get back?"

"No,. We had to ride all the way up to the edge of Hogwarts and them get off and apparate back." Sirius jaw tightened as he tried to contain his anger. "Three guesses who's responsible and the first two don't count."

"Well, I made it here anyway," the boy said placatingly. "Have I missed the feast?" he asked head turning to Headmaster who was walking beside Remus.

"It's just finishing now," Dumbledore replied. "You can join your housemates after you've had dinner with your guardians and I. Not too healthy to miss meals at my age, and you, Harry, missed lunch unless you took the time to do some hunting?" he asked with amusement.

The avian Animagus shook his dark head. "No, we just flew straight here as fast as we could."

"Gods, you must be exhausted," Sirius muttered as the Headmaster spoke the password to his office and they ascended the spiral staircase wherein the smells of hot dinner already permeated.

* * *

Dinner eaten, the little group headed slowly through the corridors and up the staircases inexorably towards the Gryffindor tower.

"Padfoot?" Harry whispered, tugging on his godfather's cloak noticing that Moony was occupied speaking to the Headmaster. "Any orders about the surprise?"

Sirius wanted to scream "**no**!" to sweep his sweet, little godson up and take him home. He wanted to say bugger the plan and just hire a hit wizard to arrange for Lockhart's demise and discrediting and Moony's rise to literary and scholar fame.

But Moony wouldn't appreciate it. He was funny that way, really.

Sighing, the Marauder ruffled his godson's hair. "Watch. Wait. Report daily in that code I taught you. And if anything happens you let me know at once. No secrets this year, right?"

Harry wondered at the logic of such a statement, but decided he was too tired to figure it out now. "Right."

Sirius swallowed heavily as the moving staircase deposited them before the picture of the Fat Lady. "All right then, Harry lad, be safe."

Moony came up to stand beside the boy and smoothed his wild hair down with affection. "Have fun, Harry and don't forget to write."

"I won't forget," Harry assured him. "No fights with Voldemort this year."

"No fights," Sirius echoed, before hugging his godson tight. "You have the password?" he asked gesturing up at the Fat Lady who was primping herself surreptitiously at the sight of the handsome Sirius Black. At Harry's nod he pushed the boy gently forward, knowing that if he entered the Gryffindor tower with Harry he'd just change into dog form and sleep at the bottom of his bed this night and all following nights to protect him from helpful house elves. "Go onto bed now."

"G'night Padfoot. G'night Moony," Harry whispered as he vanished into the Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

**To Be Continued (tcb)**

Poor Harry. Instead of him keeping secrets from Padfoot and Moony, they are having Harry keep their secrets from each other. There is trouble on the horizon. I hope you enjoyed it and I would like to say for the record that I too was shocked, SHOCKED by Sirius burning books. Don't burn books. Books are our friends.

By the way, check out my favorite story list as there are some very cute Harry as a child stories being newly written!

* * *

**athenakitty**- Sirius won't be sending Lockhart Howlers, he has a much much more evil plan. mwhahahaha. Ron is somewhat familiar but he only spent a few days with them in "Hunting for Marbles" by neutral. As for seeing up the floo, I remember reading that when you travel by floo you could hear the sounds from the various fireplaces you pass and in fourth book Harry could hear the Weasley's in the floo when they tried to get to the Dursleys home. So by sticking his head up the chimney Remus was hoping to hear if Harry was on his way or stuck or something. Werewolf senses after all. I've got some leeway in second year, things will be different: neutral and I have both had ideas about things like the Diary and the Basilisk etc. I hope you keep reading and enjoy. 

**Abbika-Rose-Writers**- Thank you for the wonderful detailed review, I love them, they make me sooo happy. Ahem, as to your questions/comments. I understand Sirius' desire to sue everyone, it is a good desire, better than vigilante justice as Remus would no doubt say. I'm glad the insult peacock is still good; I was worried I used it too many times. :) And I am amazed how many people love the last scene with Harry and the creme, I wasn't sure it worked. Harry as an innocent is fun to write, so many authors have fun with dark jaded all knowledgeable Harry, but neutral's creation of a world where Harry is just a six year old boy! (to quote a certain Marauder) is unique and precious and oh so fun to write. Neutral is still alive, busy with real life like so many of us; she has not abandoned us! As for Sirius' job, we still don't know and won't know until third year. mwhahahaha!

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo**- Demon Kiwi? What next, Sociopath Banana, Paranoid Plums from Pluto? grin Anyway, those are cool names. Harry's Animagus form is something of a bird of prey/falcon (see the first chapter of "Clawtracks" for more info) But you have to admit Harry Hawk was just tooo cute a nickname to pass up even if Harry isn't a hawk. I too have read Harry as all sorts of animals; most authors do a really good job of it too. Thanks for the long review

**kool**- More father/son scenes? Don't worry, with Lockhart on the prowl, a Chamber of Secrets opening and a Bludger attacking Harry you can bet overprotective Sirius is going to have some bonding moments with Harry. I too loves those father/son moments, though with Harry getting a bit older, naive and innocent or not, it is harder to write than when he was an adorable six year old.

**Talamh**- Your review totally made my terrible, horrible, no good day so much better. Thank you so much for such high praise.

**sami1010220**- I am very glad you found "Let Winterlight Come" so touching and "The Bitter Glass" so funny. I do intend to update more regularly now that my exams are done. I don't know how long this will be, but I guess at least ten chapters. Enjoy.

**Jennifer Cole**- Glad you like the sequels. Thanks.

**skipastarseeker**- I'm updating. See??? (looks around at the new chapter). And there will be more soon! Promise. Don't be an Eeyor, be a Tigger.

**Pure Black**- Harry is used to Professor McGonagall visiting his guardians and her scolding them for their childish behavior (as mentioned in "Clawtracks" and "Dueling Range" if I remember correctly.) As for Harry naivety it does get him into trouble with girls but it comes from Sirius and Remus overprotecting him. Don't worry though, Harry's got nerves of steel when necessary and while some things he will be innocent regarding (leading to hilarious mix-ups later in "Good Intentions") battle, friendship, fighting a war and surviving he is more than skilled at dealing with.

**Rosie W**- Second year is well under way, but don't worry you haven't missed much. I love "six year old Harry" too.

**Salvia Tanima**- More coming soon, I beg for your patience. Sirius is my fav too (Fifth book . . . cry). Thanks for the recommendation.

Review?


	6. CHAPTER VI: The Great Escapes

There are no excuses for my long absence. None. Shame. Shame. Please accept this humble offering as my penance.

* * *

CHAPTER VI: The Great Escape(s)

* * *

Remus was pacing. It was so odd to be pacing. Padfoot paced; Remus was calm. Not so today. Not when waiting for the clock to chime and make this particular firecall.

The flames flashed green and a head appeared in the fireplace. He would deny to his dying day that he jumped a foot and shrieked like a girl at the sight.

"Snape!" Remus hissed. "_I'm_ supposed to call _you_. What the hell do you think you're playing at?"

"Sit down Lupin, you're not supposed to be a caged animal today."

Scowling, the werewolf drew his chair closer to the fire. "There are reasons why I should be the one calling. First off, how did you get through the wards that prohibit calling ahead without announcing?"

"I'm using the headmaster's fireplace, but that is hardly relevant at this moment," Snape informed him derisively. "What is important is if after doing the required reading of the pedantic and highly biased disclosure information of the European Potions Association for verbalized and marginally sentient test subjects you agree to proceed with the trials."

Remus rubbed his hands on his knees and nodded, pushing the thought of horrific side effects aside. As long as it was guaranteed the Wolfsbane trials didn't result in his death he was more than willing to try anything. "Yes, yes. I want to go through with it."

"You realize that the ingredients for the testing are yours to provide and are very, _very_ . . . costly," Snape said smiling thinly. "I'm sure your _friend_ would give you your allowance in advance to take care of your special needs."

_As if I'm going to pay you one single knut for being subjected to your testing procedures. _"Thank you for your concern Snape, but I'm quite capable of taking care of myself," Remus retorted tiredly. _Gods would the man ever get new material? If he was this boring in class, no wonder Harry failed._

"Really? You're taking care of yourself?" the Potion Master asked with mock surprise. "Even with the new legislation going through the Ministry? What was it again? Prohibiting werewolves from working, wasn't it?" He asked snidely.

"They'll always be those who need my services, legislation or no legislation. You, as a potion master understand that I'm sure-- the choice of your pocketbook over the law?" Lupin asked idly watching the flame colored head purple with reaction at the thinly veiled reference to the Ministry investigation into Snape's work not three years ago.

"You? Services? As what? A handy execution method?"

Remus leaned back in his chair ignoring the insult with long practice. Now they were getting somewhere. "There is a significant value to people like me as you have in the past been so kind to point out. Say, for instance the value of my fur."

Snape stilled, suddenly very attentive.

"How much does it cost," Remus continued on staring at the ceiling as if the topic was not of chief interest, "for fur from a werewolf, live, un-drugged, cut under the light of the full moon and not a windowless cell tainted and stained with blood?"

"Are you suggesting some sort of trade?" Snape asked carefully.

"Ingredients for ingredients," Remus said cooly. "I think that is fair."

"And you can promise fur, harvested under the moonlight, untainted, _pure_?" The Potion Master said, a hint of eagerness evident in his voice.

_Gotcha. _"Yes. And in return you will let me try your new potion and--"

"I want the fur first," Snape demanded cutting Moony off. "This full moon get what you can and next month you'll have your Wolfsbane."

"I understand what you want, but_ I _want the Wolfsbane _this_ moon, and as for the fur . . ." Carefully drawing the brown paper wrapped packet from behind him, Remus opened it to show its contents to Snape's avid gaze. "You get a portion of the fur every month _after_ you provide me with the potion, the instructions for taking it, list of known side effects, and all seventeen standard werewolf recovery potions. I promise you, you'll not a single strand before."

Remus swore he could hear Snape's teeth grinding at the very thought. Lupin carefully brushed his fingers over the silvery tufts of fur. Harry had managed to get quite a lot. He held in his hands a fortune; in Potion making every single hair obtained in such pristine condition was invaluable.

"Agreed," Snape growled at last.

_Now who's the animal_? Remus thought with a bitter smile.

"I'll be in contact with you in roughly fifteen days," Snape said, and then he was gone.

* * *

Something soft landing on his head woke Harry. Scrambling about in his bed, Harry blinked blearily over at his dorm mates. 

Another feather missile struck him squarely in the face. Sputtering and pushing aside the pillow he barely had time to make room on his bed before Ron jumped on it.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "You're here! What happened? How did you get here?"

"I-- er . . ."

"Hey, Harry, you made it after all!" Seamus crowed as he pushed back his covers and got up. "Ron said you got stuck in the barrier. Is it true? What was it like? Could you breathe?" he asked eagerly.

"Of _course _he could breathe otherwise he would have suffocated," came the muffled retort from Dean who was still hiding beneath his covers.

Harry scrambled for an answer that didn't involve mentioning he was an illegal Animagus or that he was currently being stalked by a house elf. "It was just temporarily blocked; I found a way to get here."

"_Unbelievable!_ How? No one else could apparate away from the platform or get in from the Muggle side of the station. Did you apparate?" Seamus asked excitedly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Dean said, his head popping out for a moment, eyes still closed against the early light. "Harry probably just flew on his Nimbus 2000."

"Yes," Harry agreed hurriedly. "I flew."

"Were you seen?" Ron asked wide eyed.

"Er, no."

"Ha! That'll show Malfoy," the red head said with pleasure. "Him and his stupid stories of flying along side muggle arro plans and heilo boppers."

"Maybe we should wake Neville and get down to breakfast," Harry put in, wanting the subject changed. He shoved aside his blankets and wriggled down off the bed.

"Oh! Of course. You missed the feast, you must be starved!" Ron exclaimed. "Oi! Nev! Get up! Harry's here!"

* * *

Harry had just started on his porridge when the owl post came. He didn't bother looking up as Hedwig was no doubt resting after a long flight. Instead he kept nodding absently as Hermione happily showed him the research she had managed to do on magical barriers, anti-apparation wards, and ministry transportation services in the last eight hours alone. 

Fortunately for Ron, who was just about to start banging his head on the table in an effort to interrupt Hermione's lecture, a bedraggled grey owl fell into the milk jug.

"Errol!" Ron cried, trying to righten the limp, soggy creature.

"There's a letter," Harry noticed as he used his napkin to wipe off some of the milk from the ancient owl's feathers.

Ron pulled it free. "It's from Mum," Tearing open the envelope two pieces of paper fell out. Managing to rescue them both from the strawberry jam on his plate he glanced at the letters. "Oi, Harry, this ones for you," he said handing it over to his friend. "Ginny!" he called down the table to his sister, seated proudly at Gryffindor.

The youngest Weasley did not look up from where she sat scribbling industriously into a battered notebook.

"Ginny!" Ron yelled again. "Ginny, there's a letter from Mum."

"She's busy preparing for class. Honestly, Ron, you can give her the letter later," Hermione said as she gave Errol a push so that he was airborne and off to the Owlry. She then dug around in her book bag and pulled out one of their school books, and propping it open began to read _Voyages with Vampires_.

Trying not to let the smiling face of Gilderoy Lockhart put him off his breakfast, Harry resumed eating with one hand, reading the post from Mrs. Weasley.

* * *

Dear Harry, 

I hope you are doing well after that dreadful business at the Platform. Make sure you get enough to eat at meal times, lots of vegetables and soups. I'm sure if you do, by the next time I see you, you will have grown five inches. Arthur is looking into it at work and will find the troublemaker that caused this dreadful commotion at the Platform. Your guardian, Remus, was good enough to firecall us last night and let us know you were safe and sound in you dorm with our Ron. Remember to go to bed at a sensible hour, Harry. While it was all well and good you made it to Hogwarts on your own, Harry dear, you must remember that if you are lost the best thing to do is to remain where you are and don't talk to strangers unless they are Aurors. If anyone comes and tries to grab you if you are alone, remember to scream for help very loudly. Have a good term, and don't forget to change your underwear every night and wash your neck.

Dress warmly; the Wireless says winter will come fast this year. Don't forget your scarf and gloves if you go out to play.

Mrs. Weasley,

Ron's Mum

* * *

Harry smiled at the letter; he folded it and was tucking it into his pocket when he felt a prickling along the back of his neck. 

Someone was watching him.

Slowly and carefully, Harry clenched his hand into a fist. In a single instant he was ready to draw his wand with a mere flick of his wrist. The only warning he had was a chirping, cheerful voice.

"Smile, Harry!"

Harry turned at the sound of his name, wand instinctively pointed at the threat and found himself blinded. Blinking furiously, Harry rubbed his eyes barely making out the figure with a camera before shooting off a stunning spell.

"Harry!" Ron yelped from beside him, putting down his glass and dragging his friend's wand arm down and away from a gibbering first year.

Mortified that he'd nearly blasted a fellow Gryffindor, Harry was quick to apologize. "I-I'm sorry. Not quite awake yet," he explained hurriedly, trying to ignore the stares and snickers of some other students. "I don't believe we've met, I'm--"

The first year seemed to have recovered from near hex and was now bouncing about in excitement. "Harry! Harry Potter, born July 31, 1980. You're the youngest seeker in a century and the Boy Who Lived," the blond boy breathlessly exclaimed. "I'm Colin. Colin Creevey. I know loads about you; I've read all about you too. I read it aloud to my dad and he wanted to see what you looked like, and there are no pictures of you, so I thought that I could get some and send them off to my dad. My Dad's a milkman. He was terribly excited when I got my Hogwarts letter. Up till then, everybody thought I was a bit mad what with doing magic and all."

"Imagine that," Ron said in a _sotto_ voice. Tugging on a stunned Harry, he dragged his friend away from his new fan. "Sorry about that Colin, must be off to Herbology. Perhaps another time."

"Maybe we could set up a photo shoot? Some candid shots?" Colin called after the retreating pair. "A day in the life of the Boy Who Lived?"

Harry no longer needed Ron to drag him away from the Great Hall. At Colin's questions he put on speed and nearly ran out into the corridor eager to escape before his picture was once again taken and sold to the Daily Prophet or worse, the Crystal Ball.

"Good thing we got away when we did," Ron said as they hurried out the side entrance towards the greenhouses. "Another minute there and he would have asked you to let him found a Harry Potter fan club."

Harry shuddered. "Don't say things like that."

"Sorry," Ron said contritely. Looking about he realized they were short one bookish Gryffindor. "Where's Hermione?"

Harry stopped and looked about. "Did we leave her behind? With Colin?" he asked horrified.

"Hermione's going to kill us," Ron moaned.

"Or worse, get us expelled," Harry couldn't resist adding.

The red head blinked and the burst out laughing.

* * *

"You left me behind!" Hermione scolded as they put away the earmuffs, the danger of the mandrake call no longer an issue with them all repotted. "You should have heard him go on and on about you, Harry: What's Harry's favorite color? Does he have a favorite pudding? Do you think he would tell me how he defeated You-Know-Who if I asked him?" she said mimicking the slightly squeaky voice of Colin Creevey. 

Harry winced. People wanted to know about that? He couldn't remember anything about October 31, 1981, the night he was supposed to have defeated Voldemort.

"Well at least he's a first year and we don't share any classes with him," Ron said, trying to offer Harry some hope. "All we have to do is keep Harry away from him in the common room and Great Hall."

"That shouldn't be too difficult," Hermione said slowly. "I mean, one boy with a camera is not the paparazzi no matter how star struck he is."

"Paper ratzi?" Ron asked as he pushed open the door of the green house. "What in Merlin's name is that? Some sort of slime monster or something?"

"No, Ron," Hermione said, exasperated. "It's not Paper ratzi, it's papa_ra_zzi."

"That's what I said!" The red head protested indignantly.

Knowing that the bickering would get worse before it got better, Harry hurried forward out of the greenhouse eager to escape being drawn into Round 24 of Ron vs. Hermione.

"No, you didn't!" The busy haired girl contended, her voice still loud enough for Harry to hear behind him. "Honestly, Ron--"

A flashbulb going off was all the warning Harry had of Colin before the boy leapt out of a tree.

Dropping all of his books, wand drawn and then put away just as quickly in frustration, the black haired boy could only sputter. "W-what? Tree? Colin! What are you doing?!"

"Wonderful," sneered an oh so familiar voice from behind him. "So now you've hired a photographer to document your life for the masses," Malfoy spat.

"Hi, Harry," Colin waved. "Do you suppose you could pose-- heroically of course --for some photos? The lighting is really good today."

Instead of answering the eager Gryffindor Harry turned to regard the Slytherin and his bodyguards. "Malfoy, since you seem to be so jealous, you probably have loads of free time to take pictures. Colin can take pictures of **you** instead. Colin?"

The blond first year fingered his camera nervously. "But Harry, pictures of you--"

"Colin," Harry said firmly, cutting him off. "You're dad won't care about pictures of just any student. He would want to see a picture of a wizard who has lived in the wizarding world. Colin, I'd like you to meet Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle. I'm sure they are a much better subject for your pictures than me."

"Really?" Colin asked warming to the idea.

"Really," Harry said assuredly. "Plus, if you do this you will make me very,** very **happy."

Raising his camera, the Gryffindor advanced on the pale Slytherin without another word of protest.

"Potter?" Draco asked, bewildered as the flash went off again blinding the silver haired boy.

"Enjoy being a celebrity, Malfoy. Perhaps you can do signings," Harry said innocently as he hurried away.

"Potter--?!" Malfoy called as he staggered about myopically.

"Do you think you could stand a bit more to the left, Draco? Can I call you Draco? And maybe your friends could stand just behind you?"

"POTTER!"

Nearly managing to escape into Hogwarts proper, Harry was foiled by perfumed turquoise robes.

"Harry, Harry, Harry!"

Gulping, Harry tried to wipe a look of annoyance off his face. "Professor Lockhart?" the boy asked carefully.

"Harry, Harry, Harry, I agree you are very young. Your life in public is just beginning but you should never give an opportunity to shine in public to someone else," the defense teacher scolded.

"Crabbe? Goyle!" Malfoy's rose to a desperate pitch behind him. Harry hid his smile. "Stop posing and Get Him OFF ME!" the pureblood howled.

"Could you two just turn your chins a bit more? Perfect!" **click**

"You are right, Professor," Harry said earnestly. "I-I don't really know how to . . . er . . . embrace the public properly."

"Oh, Harry, Harry, Harry, it will come. Trust me, it will come. But you are just a boy. Why when I was your age, I was a nobody. Yes, Mr. Weasley," he commended to the red head who had managed to avoid Hermione and catch up with his friend. "I know it's hard to believe, shocking really. Now though . . . no need to step into the lime light just yet," Lockhart laughed. He then patted Harry on the shoulder and Harry tried not to flinch.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Lockhart called, attention shifting. "Mr. Malfoy that's not how to take a picture. Here, let me show you!" Eagerly the professor hurried towards the lone Gryffindor and the Slytherins.

"C'mon Ron," Harry said urgently, tugging on his friend's sleeve. "Let's leave before he comes back to talk to us," Harry said shuddering.

"Er, Harry?" Are you feeling all right?" Ron asked as they hurried around the base of the Ravenclaw tower towards the south entrance. "You just said embracing the public. Aloud."

Harry pushed open the door. "I'm on a mission, Ron. I can trust you with this, I know I can. I'm on a mission to find out the horrible truth behind Gilderoy Lockhart to save us all," he said solemnly. "Can I count on you to help?" He turned around and faced Ron, expression deadly serious, as he waited for his best friend's reaction.

"Oh thank Merlin. I thought you'd gone insane like Hermione!" Ron said with apparent relief. "If you need any help, I'm there. The man's a complete loony."

* * *

"Welcome to Defense against the Dark Arts. You are most fortunate this year to have a giant in the defense world teaching you. You have the honor of being exposed to the knowledge from Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award winner. You Have Me." Lockhart seemed to pause as if waiting for applause. The second year boys simply goggled in disbelief. The girls twittered and giggled. 

"I am so glad I'm not a girl," Ron muttered to Harry. "Imagine walking around with mush for brains and giggling all the time."

Harry nodded in agreement as he sunk lower in his seat, hoping the Professor would not notice him.

"Now we are going to start with a little quiz about the extend of your knowledge of the key areas of defense. This will be a closed book quiz. Don't worry, this is a simple exam, easy to know, every-day common facts," Lockhart added upon hearing a groan from the class as he began to pass out the papers face down.

He stopped at Harry's desk. "Harry, Harry, Harry," he said with a sigh.

Harry was beginning to hate the way the man said his name.

"I know that you've done things in the Defense of our world, though not as exciting as my connection to the Ghoul communities. However, I must ask that you come prepared to class. Next time bring those set of books I gave you free at my book signing of _Magical__ Me._" Not even waiting for an answer, Lockhart dumped the rest of the quizzes on Ron's desk he motioned imperiously to the rest of the class. "Finish handing them out, would you?"

Rolling his eyes, Ron grabbed one and passed the others to the second year behind him.

"You all have twenty five minutes. Aaaand, Begin!" The blond wizard yelled as he flipped over the large hourglass in the front of the class.

Grabbing his quill, Harry turned over the quiz.

He turned it back face down.

Obviously he was seeing things.

Harry cautiously flipped through the quiz.

* * *

43. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite karaoke song? 

44. Where does Gilderoy Lockhart shop for his bath loofa when abroad?

45. Why does Gilderoy Lockhart believe it is so important to give of yourself to the world?

46. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's preferred method of packing his trunk? Please list in order from bottom to top, the various layers of clothing, hair care, and other sundry items involved.

47. Where would Gilderoy Lockhart wish to spend his summer holidays?

48. What soft toy did Gilderoy Lockhart sleep with as a child?

49. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's happiest Christmas memory?

* * *

Harry closed his eyes and swallowed a groan. This was unbelievable. 

Another year at Hogwarts. Another insane Defense Teacher.

* * *

"I can't believe both of you turned in blank quizzes. Blank! How is that possible?" 

"It's very simple Hermione," Ron told her with false patience as they continued down the busy corridor towards the Great Hall and lunch, "We looked at the quiz and spent the next twenty five minutes trying to refrain from being sick all over it. You can't believe we turned them in blank? Well I can't believe you answered them all! Correctly!"

She bristled. "There is nothing wrong with getting a perfect score on a quiz and there is nothing wrong with being prepared for class."

"It's the second day back from holiday, the first Defense classof the term. What did you do, memorize his entire reading list?"

"So what if I did?" Hermione said hotly, hugging her books closer to her chest. "They were very informative. Professor Lockhart is an incredible wizard. We're very fortunate to have him teaching us."

"Mush," Ron whispered to Harry. "Hermione's brain has turned to mush. If she starts giggling I'm calling for an intervention." In a louder voice he continued. "If he were so incredible, why didn't he just put all of those Cornish pixies back in their cage, huh?"

She sniffed. "He just wanted to give us some hands-on experience dealing with dangerous creatures."

"Hands-on?" Harry said incredulously. "He let them hang Neville from the chandelier! He didn't even try to help, he just used that weird spell, _Pekipiksi Pesternomi_, which I've never even heard of and he couldn't even manage that! Did you see his wand? Not a single spark from it. Hermione, Sirius is right, that man hasn't got a clue! He didn't even seem to know what he was doing!"

"Rubbish," Hermione said. "His books are living proof that he's done and is capable of amazing things. How do you explain that?"

"He's _says_ he's done them," Ron muttered darkly. Harry's eyes widened at that. _Could that be it?_ "That doesn't mean--"

"No," Hermione continued staunchly, throwing Ron a dark glance. "This whole first day was a lesson in preparedness. And Harry, I've never seen you so unprepared in class. Why didn't youbring your books?" Hermione continued on.

The bespeckled wizard shrugged, unconcernedly. "Sirius burned them over holiday."

Ron goggled. "He burned Lockhart's books?"

"Who burned Professor Lockhart's books?" Hermione demanded aghast.

"Sirius did," Ron answered. At the girl's pale features, Ron hurriedly pointed to Harry. "He burned Harry's books. Not mine! I wasn't even involved. I swear!"

"Burn books? BURN BOOKS? LOCKHART'S BOOKS?" Sputtering Hermione froze in the corridor, completely lost for words and any voluntary bodily movement.

Exchanging a glance, Ron and Harry each took her by the arm and led her to the Great Hall for lunch.

"I hope she snaps out of this soon, we have potions after lunch," Ron muttered as they dragged their friend along.

* * *

Harry held a spoon full of carrots up to Hermione's lips. 

Nothing, no response.

Sighing, Harry put down the utensil and poked at his own lunch. "You could help me with her," he said to Ron, gesturing at their stunned friend.

"I dunno, Harry. I think I sort of like her like this, all silent and unmoving," Ron said absently, head turned so that he could watch the commotion over at Slytherin table where Colin Creevey, brave Gryffindor to a fault, was attempting to have lunch with his new best friend Draco Malfoy. "How long do you think it will be before Snape gets involved over there?" Ron asked, gesturing with a chip towards the now purple faced Malfoy and the posing Crabbe and Goyle.

Seamus snickered and leaned over towards Harry. "Given how furiousMalfoy looks now, it won't be long before Gryffindor is in negative house points courtesy of Snape."

"Do you think we should, I don't know, rescue Colin?" Harry asked tentatively.

Both boys looked at him as if he were crazy. "This is brilliant. Why would you want to stop the torture and humiliation of Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"It's just that--" Harry began.

"Shush! There Snape goes!" Dean hissed as every Gryffindor watched the black robed figure of the Potion Master rise from his seat at the head table and descended towards the student tables. But Snape did not walktowards Slytherin where Colin was currently rearranging food on the table to create the perfect composition for his next shot of Draco, but towards Gryffindor and towards Harry.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said softly. The entire Great Hall was silent, every quiet word of the Potion Master heard clear as a bell. "Would you please explain to me _why_ you have urged your housemates to molest and harass students from another house?"

Harry risked a glance over at the still form of Colin Creevey and the smirking face of Draco Malfoy. _Right, so Malfoy thought he could tattle to his head of house did he?_ "I don't know anything about harassing students, sir. But I **do** know that Malfoy said he was giving out signed photographs tomorrow, thanks to Colin's hard work."

"That's a LIE!" Malfoy roared, shoving aside a grinning Colin. "He's the one--"

"My dear Severus!" Chimed a perfectly modulated tenor voice interrupting them all.

Harry was sure he was just imagining it, but it looked like Snape rolled his eyes at the sound of Professor Lockhart insinuating himself in the conversation.

"Is there something I can help with? I am after all renowned for my diplomatic dealings with trolls and other assorted creatures. Why I was even complimented by a Master Vampire once for my tact and graciousness in conversation. No doubt any little school boy fight I can surely help you with." Lockhart placed a warm hand on the Potion Master's shoulder and _squeezed_.

The entire Great Hall gasped in shock as the sight of Lockhart's audacity to actually come into physical contact with the most aloof and forbidding member of the staff.

"Oh, that's just wrong," Seamus whispered in horror.

Snape recoiled as if he just been struck with a pain curse. Struggling to remain calm and not curse the Defense teacher, Snape turned on his favorite target. "Detention, Potter. For your utterly depraved behavior!"

"Depraved?" Harry echoed in bewilderment. "What did I--"

"Your continued existence is an utter depravity and an offense against nature," the man spat. "Eight o'clock on Friday. And if you are late--" Snape began.

"Oh Severus, but I though we could spend some time on Friday going over potions. I did so want to show you my innovations towards helping werewolves, remember?"

"I believe that will be impossible, Lockhart, as _you_ will be administering Potter's detention on Friday. Newest Professor and all that," Snape sneered, using the confusion on his co-worker's face to make his escape.

Harry shook his head, ready to run after and beg the Potions Professor to assign him to scrub cauldrons instead. Anything but spending an evening with Lockhart and hearing him say--

"Harry, Harry, Harry. Detention on Friday then. The price of being in the spotlight, my boy is to take the consequences of your actions with good grace. But don't worry, Harry, I won't make you do anything too strenuous,. We'll just answer my fan mail perhaps. You'll need some practice with that, won't you?" Lockhart laughed as he strode away.

Harry's shoulder slumped in desperation. He turned to look at the stunned face of his best friend. "Help me," he whispered.

"Mate, you're on your own," Ron commiserated sadly.

* * *

"Harry. Harry. HARRY!" 

"Wha? Oliver, what are you doin' here?"

"Go back to sleep. Harry!"

"Stop shaking him. Harry won't wake up that way. Besides you sound just like Lockhart when you say that," Ron grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed and promptly tripped over his own shoes. "What? Who turned out the light? What time is it?"

"It's four something," Oliver said dismissively. "Harry? Oh for gods sake!"

"Stop shaking, that won't help," Ron repeated as he dragged himself over to Harry's bed.

"If you know so much, Weasley, you wake him," Wood snapped in frustration.

Ron glared at the sixth year in disgust. "What do you need Harry for anyway?" he asked peevishly. "I'm not just going to drag my best friend out of bed on your say so.

"Quidditch practice."

"Move. Just you moved," Ron ordered shoving aside the tall and burly sixth year. "Bloody idiot, just leave it to me." The red head felt around the bed and found the wooden posts of the canopy. "Gods, will you owe me for this, Wood. Just hope Harry forgives me for it later," he muttered as he rapped sharply on the posts.

Harry sprang up out of bed, knocking both boys flat. "I'm awake! I'm awake, Aunt!"

"Harry! Harry! It's Ron!" he said as he scrambled to his feet to grab his friend by the shoulders. "Harry?"

"Oh, will someone just get the bloody light?" Seamus yelled from his bed.

"_Lumos_," came a tired charm from Dean.

"Ron? What?" Harry said, looking around in confusion. "Where?"

"Here, glasses," Ron replied, shoving them into Harry's hands.

The black haired boy looked around and realized where he was and what was out of place. "Oliver?" he asked tentively. "What are you doing on the floor? What are you doing in our room? What time is it? Why is everyone awake?"

"Quidditch practice, Harry," the older boy managed, rallying quickly. "Grab your gear; I've booked us the pitch."

"At this hour? It's not even dawn, is it?" Harry said as his body leaned back towards the warmth of his bed.

"That's why it's perfect. C'mon. Last one to the pitch gives me five laps."

Harry stumbled off towards the shower barely awake.

"What was that all about?"Oliverasked Ron who had flopped tiredly back on his own bed.

"None of your business," Ron muttered as he hunted around for something to wear.

"Well, er, thanks anyway. I'll remember that trick if I ever need it," Oliver joked.

Ron's blue eyes nailed the older boy cold. "If you ever use that knocking to wake or scare Harry, I will know and I will kill you."

"R-right," The Quidditch Captain said with a shaky smile. "Sorry to bother you all. You can go on back to bed."

"Oh, no," Ron said, "Now that I'm up and bruised I might as well come along. Besides, I still haven't finished that stupid Defense essay on whether Lockhart is a winter or spring."

"I suppose you can watch," the older boy offered, "As long as you don't disturb practice or anything."

The red head rolled his eyes. "Please, this is Quidditch. Like I would do anything to disturb Quidditch."

* * *

It all ended in slugs.

* * *

"What happened?" Hagrid said as he hunted around his hutfor something to help with Ron's little "problem."

"We were having practice.Ron was there and Hermione was up early too to visit the library.Then the Slytherin team showed up," Harry explained looking more frazzled than usual if his inky hair was any indication. "They had a note from Professor Snape that said they could use the Quidditch pitch this morning."

"Those filthy cheats! Snape probably didn't write the note; it was a forgery and they just wanted to bleaaarg!"

"Here, use this," The giant man shoved a bucket into Ron's arms just in time.

"Anyway, they were there on special permission to train their new seeker, Malfoy--"

"Who had obviously bought his way on the team!" Hermione interjected furiously from where she stood, arms crossed, facing the wall, hiding her face from view. "His _pureblood_ father bought the whole team Nimbus 2001s so they would let Malfoy on as seeker."

"Which is rather odd, since when Malfoy flies he really is much better as a Chaser. You would think he would go for a position he was at least good at," Harry wondered.

"It might have more ter do with jealousy than talent, his choice of Quidditch positions, Harry," Hagrid explained. "But that doesn't explain slugs."

Harry squirmed under the man's frank gaze. "Colin was there taking pictures of Malfoy," he admitted.

"Oh yes, I heard about that!" Hagrid said with a laugh. "Pretty quick thinking' there, Harry. Talk of the staff room the other day. Rather a cunning plan too, giving Malfoy exactly what he wished for and leavin' him ter stew in it. Pretty Slytherin really," he said with a wink.

"Slytherin?" Ron's voice rose indignantly. "**_Slytherin?!_** Harr-aargghkth!"

"Well, we all got a bit of the other Houses in us, now don't we? Go on, Harry."

Harry took a deep breath and just spilled it all. "So Colin was there, and Malfoy shoved him and then Hermione and Ron came over to help and there were lots of insults going around and Flint punched Oliver and they started wrestling on the ground and Colin's camera got stepped on ruining the film and he started crying almost and then Malfoy . . . Malfoy called Hermione a-a . . ."

"A mudblood," Hermione spat tearfully. "He called me a mudblood. And I don't know what it means but it must be something awful, something really foul because-- because everyone just stopped a-and they all looked at me as if I was some sort of leaper or-or something and then half the team jumped him and Ron t-tried to hex him and . . . slugs!" she finished throwing herself into Hagrid's oversized chair.

"He WHAT?" Hagrid growled in outrage.

"It means dirty-blood. It's an insult to people who don't come from pureblood, all wizard families like the Malfoys," Harry explained softly.

"So prejudice and bigotry are alive and well in the Wizarding world just like in the muggle world," Hermione said. "I thought things would be better here, that I'd have friends and be more than just the Brain. And I do have friends now, but people still hate me but now they hate me for something else that I have no control over!"

"It doesn't really mean anything, this pureblood thing," Ron said. "Not everyone thinks that way. It's nearly never used except by foul mouthed little bastards like Malfoy. Besides no one's really pureblood anyway. Everything's mixed."

"Really?" Hermione asked surreptitiously wiping her tears away looking towards Harry and Hagrid for reassurance.

Harry remained silent. Tolerance in the Wizarding world was a dream, a happy facade that hid a system biased and mired in its own made up rules and hierarchies. But Harry was not about to tell Hermione that, to tell her that there had never been a Minister of Magic who was muggle born, or that half breeds and sentient magical beings were treated like beasts and put down like animals. Harry was not about to tell Hermione that the last war that nearly ended the Wizarding world was a war about bloodlines and bigotry.

"Everyone's mixed," Hagrid echoed after the long silence. "Even the Malfoys I'll bet, though they don't want to admit it. Besides yeh are one of the brightest witches here, Hermione. Don't ever sell yerself short. There ain't a spell around that yeh couldn't do," the giant man scolded good naturedly. "Now since yeh are here so early instead of on Saturday, I think I'll show you my surprise."

The Gamekeeper lead them out behind his hut towards his garden, even Ron, who came cradling his bucket. "There!" Hagrid pointed out with his pink umbrella at the pumpkin patch where huge orange specimens lay golden in the dawn's light.. "Ain't they beautiful?" Hagrid said proudly. "I've been asked to grow them this year by Professor Sprout herself, what with her bein' so busy with the Mandrakes. They'll be the hit of Halloween this year. Yer sister liked them, Ron. She was out here yesterday. Said she wanted ter get familiar with Hogwarts and all. I think she jest wanted ter see if a certain someone was here visitin' me," Hagrid said with a wink in Harry direction which went completely over Harry's head, figuratively and literally.

"Who did she want to see?" Harry asked in curiosity.

Ron's renewal of vomiting slugs prevented Hagrid from expounding further on the adventures of one Ginny Weasley.

"Those are some of the biggest pumpkins I've ever seen," Hermione said. "Do you use growth potions, Hagrid?"

Harry squinted at the garden patch quizzically. "They're huge. It almost looks like an engorgement charm, but a bit off."

The large man looked almost flustered at the question. "Er, well Harry, there weren't no magic involved. Jest good old fashioned manure."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, "Because it does look like a charm, but something must be wrong with your wand. Maybe I could. . . Hagrid? Why are you disguising your wand as an umbrella?" he said, brow furrowing.

"N-no particular reason, really," he said hurriedly, tucking the umbrella into one of his numerous pockets in his mole skinned coat.

"It's broken!" Harry blurted out, realizing why the magic on the pumpkins looked warped and why the umbrella's magic appeared twisted. "You're wand's broken!"

Ron looked up from his bucket. "I've got some spello-tape if you want to put it back together. Had to use it to keep the unicorn hairs from falling out of my wand."

"Spello-tape won't help a broken wand," Hermione said. "We need a professionals help. How did it break, Hagrid?"

"W-well, here's the thing --" the giant man flustered.

"Did you sit on it?" Ron asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Bill once sat on his. Mom screamed at him all afternoon."

"I can write to Sirius," Harry offered helpfully. "He helped make is own wand; he could have some tips on fixing it if you don't want anyone to know about the, er, sitting."

"Wands are such volatile things. No, I think it would be better to go straight to Ollivanders and buy a new one, Hagrid," Hermione said staunchly.

Harry shook his head in disagreement. "Wands are special, alive almost. If you don't inherit a family wand but get your own first wand and learn your first spells with it, it bonds with you. It is very, **very** difficult for any second wand to respond as wellas the original wand without powerful magic and a unique and sympathetic wand core. That's why snapping a person's wand is such a terrible punishment; it literally means the end of magic. Sirius had to arrange for a dual core with custom made, very rare wood. It took weeks to make. It cost a lot too. Sirius could help you, Hagrid. You could--"

"Yeh don't understand," Hagrid said wretchedly as he seemed to collapse on a tree stump. "My wand got broke on purpose. I'm not rightly supposed to be even doin' magic."

"Why? Why would anyone break your wand?" Harry asked in shock.

"I got expelled," Hagrid confessed.

"Expelled?!" Hermione said horrified at the thought.

"From Hogwarts, in my third year."

"But-but, I though you couldn't get expelled from Hogwarts!" Hermione wailed. Ron and Harry looked at her in shock.

"After all your moaning about it last year? You thought they didn't expel people and you_ still_ whined about it?" Ron said incredulously through a mouthful of slug. He spat and continued. "You get expelled, they snap you wand, and you're never ever allowed to do magic again!"

"WHAT?" Hermione shrieked.

"What did you think happened? I thought you read _Hogwarts: A History _a million times. Didn't they talk about expulsions?" Ron asked derisively.

"I thought that was an old punishment like being put on the rack or being hung by your thumbs. In the muggle world if you get expelled they just say you can't go to that particular school. They let you go to some other school or your parents have to pay a bit of money to get you into a private school. No one denies you your education and birthright and exiles you from-from society!"

"Why?" Harry asked Hagrid again.

"I had a pet," Hagrid said with a sigh. "I found it alone. I took care of him, kept him safe from the rest of the school in case they didn't understand. But someone died that year, a girl. Aragog didn't do it though! I kept him very safe and in a box. They blamed him, but he didn't do it!" he yelled, standing up. "He wasn't responsible, but they blamed him and they blamed me."

"Aragog? Was it another dragon?" asked Hermione.

"Aragog's an acromantula. He was too young to kill anyone without there bein' lots of bites and scratches and blood. The girl who died, she jest . . . died. Not a mark on her."

"An acromantula? A-A giant SPIDER?!" Ron roared, standing up and dropping the bucket to poke his finger at Hagrid. "You-you kept a giant spider at Hogwarts? As a PET??"

"You didn't even get a hearing, did you?" Harry said softly. "They just blamed you and took your wand and snapped it."

"And just sent you from Hogwarts and you were only 13 years old. No more magic," the bushy haired Gryffindor added sadly. "How horrible."

"That's not right. It's **not** right," Harry said. "Everyone has a right to learn magic. Everyone has a right to tell his side of the story. You should have gotten a fair trial; you should have gotten a chance to show it wasn't Aragog or your fault."

"It's long over, Harry. It was more'n fifty years ago now. Besides, Dumbledore gave me this job. It's a good job and I get ter stay at Hogwarts," he murmured as he went to stand and look at the towers of the castle.

"But you could have been a dragon handler or-or gone on to explore and locate magical creatures in the wild. You could be teaching Care of Magical Creatures or giving lectures or-or _anything_ if they hadn't expelled you!" Harry exclaimed in frustration.

"Those are jobs? Actual jobs?" Hermione asked, astonished.

"Of course they are. We'll be picking extra classes at the end of this year that will help us with our job choices," Ron explained.

"You mean next year we get to take even _more_ classes?" she said excitedly. "How wonderful! It will be just like university. I wonder if Professor McGonagall has a course listing I can look at, perhaps some course descriptions--"

While his friend waxed increasingly eloquent about future academic challenges, Harry stepped to Hagrid's side and stared out at the castle in the distance. "I'm sorry," the raven haired boy whispered.

"Don't think on it, Harry. It's been years and I'm happy here, really. Get to see all kinds of interestin' creatures here what with the forest next door and well, I got to raise my Norbert," Hagrid said fondly.

"We won't tell," Harry said suddenly. "About your umbrella. There's no reason why you shouldn't do magic if you want to."

"I'll bring down my spello-tape," Ron put in. "Maybe it will help a little."

"You could get some spell books from the library and teach yourself fourth year magic. Engorgement charms are good, but there are more advanced ones according to Professor Flitwick that the higher years study. Perhaps some Herbology books would help," Hermione added.

"Oh, no," Hagrid protested. "It's too late fer that. I'm fine with what I got."

"Are you sure? I could tutor you. I know I'm just a second year but--"

"I'd be lucky to have a tutor as smart as yeh, and don't yeh forget it," he told her fondly. "Never mind me. Ron, yeh feeling a better? Yeh don't look so peaky any more."

"M'right," Ron burbled, cupping his hand to his mouth to catch another slug.

"Jest watch the salt at lunch and supper and yeh'll be fine," Hagrid warned as he shooed the children back towards the castle. "Don't want to shrivel up yer mouth, now do we?"

* * *

To Be Continued (tbc) 

Very Ron centric chapter actually, now that I read it through. I'm not sure exactly how that happened. I hope it came across as funny at any rate. I tried to give you guys scenes that were different than the book or the movie. I hope I gave you something new to enjoy not just a rewrite of the classic book or script.

REVIEWS! I've gotten so many due to my long absence. (Shame! Shame!) Thanks to all of you.

**tessbomb65**- The "werewolf thing" (I love how you put it) will have to be resolved. But then Harry has just as much chance of dying sooner from say Lockhart incompetence, Dobby's helpfulness, and the terrible thing at Hogwarts (coughBASALISKcough). He might be the one shortening his guardians' lives. But I am glad you picked up on that, I'm not sure the explanation I gave for that plot point really made any sense. Glad you are enjoying.

**Eternamente**- Without reading I'm on your fav list already. Wow. I'm stunned. Thanks. I just hope you don't take it off your list once you read it. grin

**Tru**- I too shall join you at the nutella jar without spoon. I'm glad someone knows the glory of nutella out there. MMmmmm.

**Abbika-Rose-Writers**- I loved your review. I love how you wrote as you read my story. Wow. Thank you so much. The contents of Wandering with Werewolves shall remain an eternal mystery now that Sirius has burned Harry's copy and refused to buy him another. Yes Harry is sweet, blame neutral for writing such a heroic little boy. :) Nutella . . . food of the gods. No Sirius didn't drive the train: (insert sarcasm here) Snap out of it, this is not some fantasy story where every ridiculous thing happens! (I really didn't even think of that possibility. hmmm. Stealing the train . . . hmm.) As for how I started "co-writing" as you put it . . . I read Half of a Dueling Range and wrote a detailed review much like yours. neutral liked my ideas so much that she rewrote the story with my changes thanking me for the feedback. Feeling a bit courageous, I began jotting ideas down for Harry's Hogwarts years. Before I got too far I wrote an email to neutral telling her of my ideas, offering them to her to use as her own or instead, with her permission and general oversight and guidance, write and post the Hogwarts years myself. She most graciously agreed. So we co-write the series, but write our own stories with input from each other, but neutral firmly remains the gentle handed goddess of her realm, mistress of all things WS cannon.

**Insane Pineapple from Naboo**- neutral best described Harry's bird form I believe in "Clawtracks to the Stars" (I might be wrong) complete with Sirius' mistaken impression that baby bird Harry was a little sparrow or some other helpless bird. Harry is in fact based on his talons, a large bird of prey that does prey on other birds. However, Hedwig knows her Master would never hurt her and Harry likes the taste of rabbits too much (much like Padfoot) to skip to poultry. :)

**MissMoony16**- You have a bit of a wait before the demise of Lockhart, Harry must first get tangled once again in the yearly mystery of Hogwarts. As one famous fan fic writer wrote (darn I can't remember the name, I think it was debchan's "Harry Potter and the Improbable Use of Chaos Theory" but I could be horribly wrong about that). Anyway it goes like this:

Professor McGonnagall: Harry's in danger! Someone's trying to kill him!

Professor Dumbldore: What?! Is it June already?

I think that says it all. Thanks for the review.

**Serinthia**- I don't think Harry will pass any of Lockhart's "exams" in class and strangely enough I'm not too sure Sirius will be all that upset if he fails. :) Ah to have parents like that.

**athenakitty**- Ginny would not accept books from her heroic idol and crush, she would rather he had the books instead. Sigh. Well a visit from McGonagall might have Harry practice his transfiguration more, but it is Lockhart's imminent destruction that makes Hogwarts Harry's destination and homework actually due. As for the new potion called "wolfsbane" what do you think? Will it succeed? :)

**Pink Truffles**- Ron's rat is never mentioned because Pettigrew was captured when Harry was six. Sirius gained custody of Harry the legal way not by the ever entertaining "kidnapping" plot device. See "Of Western Stars" by neutral, the story that started it all, for further explanation and expansion as to the different back history of this universe. As for who will be the escapee from Azkaban, you'll have to wait and see. I do have an on again off again beta in neutral, but real life does make it difficult to get in contact with each other and find time to give meaningful feedback. Each time I add a chapter, I review and correct and try to upload the old chapters with fewer mistakes. It is an ongoing process. In the meantime I totally agree that little mistakes can be distracting during reading. Please bear with me. Also there is the constant demand to produce that causes sloppiness in me. I shall endeavor to be even more careful. :) I do hope this chapter shows Harry being angry, annoyed, and cunning and closer to that of a mischievous 12 year old. I admit, it is a guilty pleasure of mine to "baby" Harry when he is around his guardians even if it is less than realistic. I do understand exactly what you are saying and there are times I want to write Harry more jaded. You are not the first reviewer to pick up on Harry's perpetual innocence. However, after reading "Good Intentions" by neutral which is Harry in sixth year, you must admit I am a bit constrained on how "worldly" I make Harry appear. Don't worry about hurt feelings, I loved and saved your review because I do so love a reviewer who writes such detailed reviews and comments. It shows to me that you read and thought about what I was writing (hopefully enjoyed it too). There is no greater pleasure for me as a writer than to get such a review. Thanks for the four thumbs!

**GY **- Now I've got to come up with some hilarious secret code to keep you happy, don't I? Sigh. Back to work then. But honestly, thanks for the review! grin

**sotty-chan** - I am glad my fic makes you insanely happy.

**Talamh** - Patients is a virtue and also a damn pain. I hope this was worth the wait.

**Wytil** - Child Animagus problems. Hmmm. Such an interesting idea. I MUST find a way to work it into the story and if I do, I hereby announce that it is all thanks to Wytil's inspiration. Thank you.

**Iana Moon** - Clawtracks is sooo worth it. Even though it has Evil!Sirius when you read him interacting with Harry you can't help believe that like Darth Vader there is still good in him. Thanks for the high praise. I too find Unhinged!Sirius tons of fun to write.

**Zaehlas** - No guessing the plot line ahead (despite its predictability!) That's not very nice at all! Now I must go back and make the plot even more different and the final Basilisk battle even more spectacular.

**Maxennce** - I admit that Lockhart's books are a crime against ecology. No doubt that thought prevents Sirius from having nightmares due to his callous murder of the written word. You wrote "I adhore Dumbledore and his manipulative ways, Molly Weasley should shove her caring crap up her arse." I should read that as abhor instead of adore shouldn't I? :) Well this Dumbledore is not as bad as Clawtracks!Dumbledore and Molly's evilness is a necessary plot device (insert ominous foreshadowing here). Not a Hermione fan either? Well I do hope you enjoy the story for the characters you do like. :) Ta for the review. 


End file.
